The last has not been heard about a Pastor of certain Pentecostal Church, in Ogirisen community of Elume, Sapele Local Government Area, Delta State, who had allegedly flogged his son to death over allegation of witchcraft.
The gloomy tale of the sad incident still pervades the nook and cranny of the peaceful community.
The deceased 5-year-old son, Faithful, reportedly died of the injuries inflicted on him by his father last Thursday, February 6, 2020.
The self-acclaimed pastor, Amos Kosini and his wife are also on the run after the cleric confirmed that his son, Faithful was dead.
Two other children of his church member, Paradise and Wonderful Godspower, who sustained severe injuries in the hands of the cleric, are said to be in critical condition at the hospital.
According to sources, the cleric was allegedly conducting ‘deliverance’ on the children for alleged possession of ‘evil spirits’ which one of the victims, his biological son, was accused of being a wizard.
Among the five children tortured by the cleric on the guise of conducting ‘spiritual deliverance’ are four females and a male – eight-year-old Paradise, Wonderful (4), Faithful (5), Winner and Goodness.
“The incident happened last week Thursday. He (Pastor) tortured his son to death for being a wizard and possessing evil spirits. Our people have been sad since the incident happened because we so much trusted him. He killed his own son in the name of deliverance,” a community youth leader who simply identified himself as Francis said.
Fugitive Kosini was alleged to have used the ‘electric wire’ to inflict pains on the children exactly what he was said to be doing when he was a classroom teacher.
When this reporter visited the hospital where the children are receiving treatment, a staff of the hospital in the community confirmed the incident.
The staff, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Wonderful, the most injured of them lost so much blood when she was rushed here. We did all we could to revive her and she is now gradually responding to treatment.”
One of the injured children, Paradise, while narrating their ordeal disclosed that they have been under torture since December 14, 2019, over allegation of witchcraft.
“Our big uncle (Pastor) said evil spirits are in our bodies. He also said we are going to coven and that the devil was coming to give us sweet. He used wire to flog us. It was in the process that Faithful died.”
When, however, asked if she has been travelling to any spiritual world, she denied, adding that the allegation against her and her siblings was not true.
When contacted on telephone over the incident, the mother of the victims, Mrs. Omasheye Godspower confirmed accusing the children of being possessed with evil spirits, adding that there were prophesies that the children plot to kill their father.
“On December 14, 2019, God revealed to the ‘Man of God’ that the children – Anointing, Paradise, Wonderful and Goodness – are possessed and being given evil sweets. If they are sleeping, ‘they will be asking, have you drunk your blood? I have drunk my own oh.’
“If they are going to coven, they will hold groundnut shells on their hands. Anointing told us that the coven is very beautiful. She said the coven is finer than this world. She stated that the person they see there told them that he is the god of the whole world but they don’t see us (the parents) there.
“Our pastor (Amos) now told us that it was my father’s ‘juju’ that entered the children. The pastor already had done the deliverance for them. It was because they were readmitted into the evil world after they had been delivered that made the ‘man of God’ to flog them.
“They also lied to the ‘man of God’ (Pastor Amos). It wasn’t as if the pastor was doing deliverance with flogging. They told them from the evil world to kill their father as well as to bring my last child for initiation into their coven,” she stated.
In an attempt to get the reaction of the alleged pastor, Mrs. Godspower said she was no longer having his phone number and he (the pastor) has travelled to Ondo State with his wife.
She disclosed that she and her husband would not be taking actions against the pastor as the cleric had been of immense support for her family.
When contacted on the incident, the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa said the matter has not been reported to the police as he had contacted the police division in the area who claimed the matter had not been reported to them. He, however, promised to get to the root of the matter.
