By Latiifah Amusan
In a shocking and concerning incident in Rivers State, members of the ONELGA OSPAC vigilance group have reported the arrest of three individuals, including two pastors, in connection with the tragic death of a 24-year-old man named Lucky in the Port Harcourt area of the state.
Lucky’s demise reportedly occurred following an operation intended to remove a hunchback from his body.
According to an officer with the Planning and Advisory Committee of the security group, codenamed OSPAC, the suspects were apprehended while attempting to flee Port Harcourt.
One of the suspects, identified as Olatoye, a 54-year-old pastor of a new generation church in Osiakpo, near Omoku in the state, claimed that the victim had been handed over to him by his father, Ejike, and Ejike’s younger brother, Pastor Paul.
During interrogation, Olatoye revealed that the duo brought Lucky to him for a surgical operation to extract what they referred to as ‘mercury’ from his hunchback.
The suspect explained, “Paul said his brother (Ejike) had a son who had a hunchback which he was planning to do away with. He asked whether I knew the people who could take up the boy. I told him that I would make inquiries.”
Olatoye detailed that they all agreed to the surgical procedure and contacted an associate in Abeokuta, Ogun State, who promised to pay them N10 million for the ‘mercury’ that would be extracted from the victim’s hunchback.
He continued, “The boy in question (Lucky) even came to meet me, begging me that if the hunchback could be removed, I should help him. He said he wanted to be like a normal human being.”
However, the surgical procedure did not end well, and Lucky did not survive.
Ejike’s brother, Paul, 38, expressed sadness at the incident but denied any direct involvement, stating that he only introduced Olatoye to his brother.
The OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwobakata, addressing reporters, emphasized that this arrest serves as a deterrent to anyone attempting to engage in ritualistic acts.
He confirmed that all three suspects, including the two pastors and the victim’s father, have been handed over to the Assistant Inspector General, Monitoring Unit, Zone 16, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, for further investigation and prosecution.
