Osayande Ekhator, a 44-year-old man in Uselu quarters of Benin City, Edo State on Monday, July 6, 2015 has died during a deliverance session in one Hope Ministries or Holy Ghost Deliverance Centre.
According to Vanguard, when news of the man’s death broke, irate youth stormed the church premises brandishing dangerous weapons and proceeding to destroy properties of the church including music instrument, vehicles and electrical appliances.
Pa. Erase Ekhator, the father of the deceased man said that he had obliged his son when he came to inform him that he would be attending a deliverance session at the church on Sunday, July 5, 2015 but he said that confusion started when he heard his son crying for help during the deliverance.
Pa Ekhator said; “They forced him and tied both his legs and hands, carried a bucket full of water and poured it on his body. The mother asked why and they said that it is what they usually do to calm him down after struggling for five minutes, only for Osanyade to die in the church.”
According to the sister of the deceased, Mrs. Osas Omoregie, she said suspected that they had beaten her brother to death because the cloth he wore to the church was pulled off and that they had put another one on him.
The resident Pastor of the church, Mrs. Isoken Okudaye and an eyewitness who also happens to be a member of the church alleged that the deceased was very violent and hit his head on a generating set during the deliverance which led to his death.
Pastor Okudaye said: “We have been taking care of his father without any money; we don’t kill, beat or destroy souls here. If they bring people with insanity here, we heal them.”
Also an eyewitness speaking with newsmen on the incident said, “When we heard that somebody died there, we all ran to the church to know what happened, but some angry youths started destroying the altar and everything in the church. We had to escape from the scene so that we won’t be attacked.”
Confirming the incident, DSP Steve Onwunchie, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command said that investigations have been launched into the matter and that their findings would be made public at the appropriate time.
