A 45-year-old pastor, Roman Samson, has been arrested by the Cross River State Police Command for allegedly flogging a 13-year-old girl to death after she was accused of stealing her mother's ₦30,000 in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The deceased's mother, Agnes, who has also been arrested for taking her daughter to the pastor's residence, said she never asked the cleric to beat the teenager, insisting that she only wanted him to counsel and pray for her.
"I didn't tell him to kill my daughter. I only wanted him to scold and counsel her. I was not there when he beat my daughter," Agnes said.
According to the mother, she took her daughter to Pastor Samson on June 1 after discovering that ₦30,000 she had kept at home was missing. She said the teenager had previously been accused of taking her money and had been taken to the pastor on several occasions for counselling.
Agnes said that while they were at the pastor's house, the girl admitted taking the money and disclosed where she had hidden it.
"She confessed to stealing the money and told me she had kept it inside one of her trousers. I immediately went home to check and found the ₦30,000 where she said it was. The pastor had not beaten her before I left," she said.
She explained that she met the pastor while he was rushing her daughter to the hospital.
"I only saw him taking her to the hospital. I never asked him to beat her," she added.
A police source attached to the Homicide Section of the Cross River State Police Command said the girl's mother left her alone with the pastor after accusing her of stealing the money.
"It happened when the mother took her 13-year-old daughter to the pastor's house over an allegation of stealing. By the time she returned, the pastor had allegedly flogged the girl with a horsewhip and was taking her to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead," the source said.
Pastor Samson, the founder and General Overseer of Goodness of Jesus Ministry, admitted flogging the teenager but insisted he never intended to kill her.
"The girl's mother asked me to beat her. She said she had already beaten her herself and wanted me to do the same," he claimed.
The pastor said he used a horsewhip on the teenager and stopped only after noticing that she had become weak.
"I gave her about 13 to 15 strokes before I noticed she had become very weak. I rushed her to the hospital immediately, but she died before we got there. I feel very sad. She was like a daughter to me," he said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, ASP Eitokpah Sunday, said both the pastor and the girl's mother had been arrested while investigations continue.
"The Cross River State Police Command remains committed to ensuring justice and protecting lives and property across the state," the police spokesperson said.
