Parents Defending Pastor Arrested for Child Abuse Need Counselling, Says NAPTIP
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has called for urgent psychological counselling for parents who openly defended a Rivers State pastor arrested over child abuse in the guise of a “spiritual cleansing” ritual.
Pastor Ifediorah Joseph, 41, of the Our Lord Victory Covenant Mission Church in Eneka, Port Harcourt, was arrested last week after a disturbing video circulated online showing him flogging unclad children during a three-day ritual.
The ritual, reportedly conducted with pigeon blood, palm fruit, and water, was allegedly aimed at warding off death and evil from the children. Several church members who took part in the exercise were also apprehended by the police.
Shockingly, some of the victims’ parents visited the police station where the pastor was being detained and publicly declared their support. They welcomed him with singing and dancing, insisting they had consented to the ritual and that the “purification” was necessary for the wellbeing of their children.
One parent told reporters, “My daughter was among the children purified. The message was that death was in the air, and they should purify the children.”
Reacting to the development, Nwamaka Ikediashi, Head of NAPTIP in Rivers State, described the episode as a clear case of child abuse and exploitation. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, she expressed concern that the parents appeared unaware of the gravity of the abuse.
“It is a total case of child abuse, and the parents are victims too. They need to be made to understand the implications of this whole thing, and that can only be achieved through counselling,” she stated.
NAPTIP condemned the defence of the pastor, warning that ignorance and blind religious loyalty should never justify acts that endanger children.
The agency stressed that the parents’ attitude reflected a wider societal problem where harmful traditional and religious practices continue to expose minors to trauma and exploitation.
Child rights advocates have also expressed outrage, urging authorities to intensify public sensitization campaigns and enforce stricter measures against faith-based abuse.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed that investigations into the case are ongoing, with Pastor Joseph and his accomplices still in custody.
The incident has reignited national debate about the dangers of unquestioned religious authority, cultural superstitions, and the urgent need for greater awareness on child protection in Nigeria.
