What started as a solemn spiritual gathering where singing, clapping and heart rending prayers cum speaking in tongue ruled the atmosphere, suddenly turned awry as a worshiper seeking deliverance in an overnight church service, mysteriously gave up the ghost.
The incident which is currently sending cold shivers down the spines of members of The Tiberias Christian Ministry International(pictured), located at Governor Road, Ikotun, in Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos occurred at about 1 am, Wednesday night right in the church’s auditorium.
Eye witness account had it that the deceased, a member of the church, had come to the church to seek spiritual solution to an undisclosed ailment before meeting his untimely death as the church’s Overseer, one Pastor Peter, was conducting deliverance on him.
Bubble burst when the deceased (names unknown), slumped in the middle of the deliverance exercise and gave up the ghost, to the chagrin of other worshipers.
The pandemonium that followed the death of the worshiper, provided opportunity for the Church’s Overseer, to quickly arrange for the corpse to be taken out of the church auditorium to an outside space where it was left while the service continued.
Orijoreporter gathered that the perceived indifference of the presiding Pastor drew the ire of some fellow worshipers, who went to Ikotun Police Station to report the incident.
The development led to the invitation of Pastor Peter, who arrived the station on request by the station’s Divisional Police Officer, who in turn committed the clergy to write a statement.
Subsequently, it was gathered that the Pastor was led to the scene of the incident by officers of the Ikotun Police Station, who took the corpse for onward deposition at a Yaba hospital mogue.
An eye witness who would not want his name mentioned, revealed that the deceased might have been battling with a yet to be identified ailment before coming to the church programme to seek spiritual solution.
“By the time the police came, rat had already been eating the ears of the corpse and there are visible indications that the man was nursing a sickness because a cellophane bag he was holding contained some drugs either purchased from a pharmacy or from hospital,” he said.
When our correspondent contacted Pastor Peter on his mobile phone, 08033738561, to hear his account of the death of his church member during deliverance, he replied via text message.
“As advised by our lawyers the case is presently under investigation hence the ministry cannot make any comment on the issue, until such is completed by the police. Further communications with you and other parties will be through our lawyers,” the Ibadan born pastor wrote.
By Gboyega Adeoye
