SCIID takes over Lagos torture centre case

Deji Lambo

The Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, Bala Elkana, has said that the case of the 15 victims rescued from the Blessings of Goodness Healing Church has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba.

     The church was allegedly being used as a detention centre for mentally ill persons and those suffering from various ailments and social vices.

  PUNCH Metro had reported that no fewer than 15 persons, who were chained inside a building on the church premises, were rescued by men of the command, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Isheri-Osun Division, CSP Chike Ibe, when the police stormed the church on Wednesday following a tip-off by the National President of the Eagle Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, Samuel Adam.

When PUNCH Metro visited the church on Thursday, four victims, who were speaking incoherently, were seen chained to the ground, but the church’s pastor, Sunday Ojo, while being interrogated by the DPO, said they were chained because of their condition, adding that their parents brought them to the church for healing.

Although one of the victims, Adewale Adetona, alleged that he was kidnapped and brought to the church against his wish, his mother, Monsurat, however, said she took him to the church for spiritual healing because his behaviour was embarrassing her in public.

The victims’ parents were said to have visited the station to confess that they brought the victims to the church for deliverance from various ailments.

In a follow-up conversation, one of the parents, who identified himself simply as Segun, said he personally took his daughter to the church for healing, adding that there had been improvement in her condition ever since she got to the church.

Elkana said the case had been transferred to the SCIID for further investigation.

He stated, “The parents are saying that they voluntarily took their children there for help, but the truth remains that some of them are adults and I could hear one of them saying he was kidnapped to that place, because he never volunteered to go there. He said he wanted to go home.

“We are still investigating; the matter has been transferred to the SCIID, Panti, Yaba.”