Father, Two Pastors Arrested In Rivers Over Ritual Activities

Men from the Rivers State-based vigilance organization, ONELGA OSPAC, have detained a father, Ejike Wilson, and two pastors in connection with the death of his 24-year-old crippled son in the state’s Port Harcourt area.

Lucky Wilson, a young man, reportedly died after an operation to remove his hunchback and sell it to suspected organ smugglers.

The suspects were apprehended while attempting to depart Port Harcourt, according to an officer with the security group’s Planning and Advisory Committee, nicknamed OSPAC, who verified the occurrence to Punch on Sunday, September 10, 2023.

Olatoye Olawale, 54, the pastor of a new generation church in Osiakpo, near Omoku in the state, stated the victim was turned in to him by his father, Ejike, and Ejike’s younger brother, Pastor Paul Osiagor Wilson.

During questioning, Olatoye was claimed to have confessed that the two brought Lucky to him for a medical procedure to allow the family to extract ‘mercury’ from his hunchback.

“Paul said his brother (Ejike) had a son who had a hunchback which he was planning to do away with. I asked him why, and he said the boy was a thief; the boy was this and that. He said when the boy was much younger, the father attempted to sell him, but it didn’t work out well

Read Also: 15-Year-Old Sentenced To Death Begs For Pardon Or Quick Execution

“He asked whether I knew the people who could take up the boy. I told him that I would make inquiries.”

The suspect stated that they had all agreed to medical surgery and contacted an associate purported to be in Abeokuta, Ogun State, who promised to pay N10 million for mercury extracted from the victim’s hunchback.

“The boy in question (Lucky) even came to meet me, begging me that if the hunchback could be removed, I should help him. He said he wanted to be like a normal human being

“I told them that he might not survive the procedure, but he said he would survive it. That was when we fixed a date for us to travel for the procedure.

“My first contact was an NGO in Owerri, Imo State, which said they would extract the ‘mercury’ and pay us N5m. I asked him what would be our own percentage. At last, both Paul and Ejike accepted the N5m offer, but the NGO didn’t show up again.”

The suspect said that he sought another ‘contact’ in Abeokuta, Ogun State, who offered to pay N10m but said it would be paid in two or three months, which both parties agreed to.

He was bothered by the victim’s father, Ejike, who kept visiting his office.

“The day we travelled for the surgery in Lagos before heading to Abeokuta, Ejike handed over the boy to me and Paul gave me N15,000 for transportation.

“At the hospital, I called the father because of the document we were to sign, but he told me to go ahead and sign on his behalf. The operation was carried out, but in the end, the boy couldn’t make it,” he added.

Paul, Ejike’s 38-year-old brother, expressed regret at the tragedy but denied any involvement, saying he just introduced Olawale to his brother.

He then asserted that he was not involved in their subsequent conversation with Olawole and his brother, and he also denied providing them with transportation, as described by Pastor Olawale.

While speaking to reporters, OSPAC Commander Felix Nwobakata stated that the arrest will serve as a deterrent to anyone attempting to engage in ritual acts.

He verified the arrest through his media aide, Obed Douglas, saying that the two pastors and the victim’s father had been apprehended.

“All three suspects have been handed over to the Assistant Inspector General, Monitoring Unit, Zone 16, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, for further investigation and prosecution.”