Nigerian police have arrested a pastor after rescuing his nine-year-old son, whom the father allegedly locked in a room for several weeks without regular food.
The boy was rescued by police in Ogun state, in southwestern Nigeria, on Friday. The pastor, 40, told police that he had locked up his son as part of a ritual designed to stop him from stealing, state police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi told AFP. "It is shocking and baffling that a man who claims to be a man of God could be involved in such a barbaric and inhuman act," said Adejobi.
Adejobi said that the boy claimed to have been held in detention without adequate food for more than a month. "He was in a very bad shape, greatly emaciated because of poor feeding," said Adejobi. The boy was rescued from a room near a church in Atan, Ogun state, after police received a tip-off, according to Adejobi.
The suspect is believed to be a pastor at the Key of Joy Celestial Church in Ogun, but the church has denied that he is affiliated to it, according to Nigeria's Premium Times.
Nigeria is roughly divided between the majority Muslim north and the largely Christian south and is one of the world's most religious countries, with some mega-churches and famous pastors, such as T.B. Joshua, drawing crowds in the tens of thousands on a weekly basis. But religion is also often a source of controversy in the West African country—for example, the governor of the northern Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, has faced vocal criticism from Christians and Muslims alike after introducing a bill that would require all street preachers to be licensed.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Conor is a staff writer for Newsweek covering Africa, with a focus on Nigeria, security and conflict.
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
