A mob at the New Layout area of Kanshio in the outskirts of Makurdi town, has beaten to pulp an unidentified pastor and an unnamed usher of a new generation church over the alleged disappearance of the genital of a young man.
A trending video on social media showed the pastor looking confused and helpless as his usher, who had already been stripped naked, was being questioned by one of those who arrested him.
According to a witness account, a young man had, on Saturday evening, raised an alarm accusing someone of snatching his genitals.
The alarm attracted the attention of passers-by and neighbours who descended on the suspect and beat him up.
He said, “we suspect that it was when he realised that they might kill him that he told the mob that it was his Pastor who asked him to steal somebody’s pennis and bring to him.
“He was then asked to lead the mob to the Pastor’s House. When they got there, the Pastor was seized from his family and given the beating of his life.
“Already the young man had been stripped naked, and the both of them would have been killed but for the timely arrival of the Police who whisked them to the ‘B Division’ Police Station.
“At the Police station it was realised that it was a false alarm and no one lost his genitals in the first place. The Pastor and the young man would have been killed just for nothing,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the police public relations officer, SP Catherine Anene, said “I met the people Sunday morning at ‘B Division’ but when they narrated the story, it was pathetic.
“Someone raised an alarm and a group of youths who knew nothing about what happened began to torture innocent people. This is inhuman and condemnable.
“According to them, a young man raised an alarm of theft of genital organ. The youth picked up the closest person and beat him up till he decided to admit and mention his Pastor as the person who sent him with the hope that the Pastor will come and save him.
“The youth got the same pastor and beat him up as well. Help came when the police got to know and rescued them. It is too bad because there is no element of truth in this. Since the history of these allegations, it has never been proven and the complainants are usually advised and told that nothing was wrong with them,” she said.
The police spokesperson, however, said no arrests had been made but investigation into the incident was ongoing.
