The Rivers State Police Command on Thursday, paraded two suspects it alleged were ritualists, but posing as pastors.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Grace Iringe- Koko, disclosed this while speaking to journalists during the parade of the suspects, at the command’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Iringe-Koko stated that the Youth President of Rumunduru community in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, Henry Worlu, apprehended the two suspects on January 20, 2025 and handed them over to the police.
She gave the names of the suspects as Umoren Bassey and Elijah Aniete, all from Akwa Ibom State.
Recovered from the suspects are one cartridge, one sword, fake naval passport, thousands of photographs, one leg of shoe belonging to a child, police lanyard, different types of cross and other spiritual materials.
In an interview, one of the suspects, Umoren Bassey of the Church of God Apostolic Deliverance Ministry in Eneka, Rumunduru, said he conducts prayers with spiritual materials depending on the way he is directed by God.
“You can use water and oil to heal people. I have lived there (Rumumduru) for so long. I still have three weeks after court judgement that asked me to quit. They used it to set me up. The community planted some of the materials they claimed they saw in my church. They searched my house without any warrant.
“I have been healing people and helping the community. I have lived there for 17 years. Some of the pictures you saw there are that of my son and some are that of my members.
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“I use the small casket or miracle life oil to pray for mad persons. The mad persons used to be calm within three months. I use it to help the community people,” Mr. Bassey said.
The other suspect, Elijah Aniete of Power of God House Ministry, disclosed that he was in Bassey’s church having a meeting with him when members of the community came and arrested them.
Henry Worlu, the Youth President of Rumundurun in an interview, stated that he was called by OSPAC commander in the community alleging that Pastor Bassey was offering sacrifices on the road.
“In the morning, we went to his church and he denied. He refused to allow us to enter until we opened his chamber and saw all these items. We did not see python and human skull. Nobody assaulted him, we just handed them over to the police” he said.
