Benue: Pastor, Usher Attacked Over Alleged Genital Theft

In a shocking incident in the New Layout area of Kanshio, on the outskirts of Makurdi town, a Pastor of a new generation church and an alleged usher found themselves at the center of a violent mob on Saturday. The chaos erupted when a young man raised an alarm, accusing another individual of stealing his genitals.

Eyewitnesses reported that the commotion began when the accuser’s cries for help drew the attention of passersby and neighbors. The mob swiftly descended upon the alleged thief, subjecting him to a brutal beating. It was only when it seemed that the man’s life was in grave danger that he confessed, claiming that his Pastor had instructed him to steal someone else’s genitals and bring them to him.

Upon hearing this astonishing revelation, the crowd turned its fury towards the Pastor, seizing him from his family and administering a severe beating. The young man was stripped naked, and both of them might have met a tragic end were it not for the timely intervention of the police.

The duo was rushed to the ‘B Division’ Police Station, where it became apparent that the alarm was based on a false premise. No one had actually lost their genitals. The incident highlighted the dangers of mob justice and the potential for misinformation to trigger such violence.

A video that has since gone viral on social media shows the bewildered Pastor and his stripped-naked alleged usher being questioned by one of their captors.

Responding to the situation, Superintendent Catherine Anene, the Police Public Relations Officer, expressed her concern. She stated, “I met the people Sunday morning at ‘B Division,’ but when they narrated the story, it was pathetic. Someone raised an alarm, and a group of youths who knew nothing about what happened began to torture innocent people. This is inhuman and condemnable.”

According to Anene, the young man’s alarm initiated a chain of events where innocent individuals were wrongly accused. “Since the history of these allegations, it has never been proven, and the complainants are usually advised and told that nothing was wrong with them,” she added.

As of now, no arrests have been made, but investigations into the matter are ongoing. This bizarre incident serves as a stark reminder of the perils of hasty judgments and the need for a more measured approach to justice.