Kogi State Government has sealed up a church, New Jerusalem Deliverance Ministry, located in Ageva, Okene Local Government Area of the state for alleged unwholesome practices.
The closure order was implemented by the state Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (retd.), the state Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, and Commissioner for Health, Dr Zekeri Usman, alongside other government officials and the security agents.
Speaking with newsmen, Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, said the Governor, Yahaya Bello, had directed the place be sealed up following the discovery of ungodly activities by the Pastor of the church, Adeiza Peter.
He described the acts of the pastor as fraudulent, saying his hypnotised members would be rehabilitated and reintegrated with their families, noting that there would be serious sensitisation for people to desist from patronising quacks while assessing healthcare.
On his part, Commissioner for Health, Dr Zakari Usman, said the pastor does not have any medical training, but regrettably takes deliveries and transfuses blood, as well as keeping people with mental illness, and extorting money from them under the guise of spiritual materials.
He said the action was not a witch hunt on the ground of the spiritual activities by the church, but to carry out the directive of the governor to seal up the place which was being used for quackery resulting in the deaths of pregnant women, babies and others, saying the state government has made a huge investment in ensuring healthcare is accessible and affordable to Kogi residents.
A number of people, mainly young women claimed they came for prayer and had spent months at the place, including others mentally unstable in chains, were moved out of the prayer house at the time it was sealed.
The pastor of the church is being investigated by the police for some criminal activities ranging from fraud, use of his prayer house for medical quackery, taking deliveries and also running psychiatric services even when it has been discovered he has no medical training.
It was gathered that a number of deaths have been recorded at the prayer house, including pregnant women and others suffering from various ailments, after charging their relatives huge sums of money.
His supposed assistant, Eneji Seidu, from Adogo, Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State, said the Pastor who was a musical artist before he received a call to be a Pastor has been his close friend, noting that he is a true man of God who has been called to help those in need.
He admitted that people receive medical attention at the church, but denied knowledge of deaths of sick people at the prayer house, saying God had used the pastor to heal many who come with challenges.
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