The Edo State Police Command says it has arrested a pastor and one other for alleged dehumanization and brutalization of a 90-year-old, Adishetu Atairu, the Chief Imam of Ofukpo-Ekperi community in Etsako Central Local Government of Edo State and six others.
According to the Daily Post, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the suspects’ arrest to journalists in Benin City on Thursday.
According to him, “The incident is confirmed, the police are aware of it. The Pastor and one other person have been arrested and they are in police custody. The suspects have been charged to court.”
The victims’ alleged dehumanization and brutalization were captured on video and went viral on WhatsApp and Facebook.
The clip, which depicted a throng at night, was believed to have been led by a man simply known as Pastor Sharp-Sharp.
In one of the viral clips, a young man, Adishetu Atairu, was shown brutalizing an elderly woman in her 90s, Musa Shaibu, the community’s Imam, and six others.
In the footage, an old woman with a walking stick is pulled to the centre of the mob, with a young man calling for her to sit down.
In the video, the old woman was seen sitting on a chair, and Pastor Sharp-Sharp could be heard commanding her to sit on the floor, even as another young man kicked her knees, knocking her to the ground.
Another video showed the community’s Chief Imam sitting on the bare ground with a young man removing his cap.
It was also discovered that the same treatment was meted out to a Hijab-wearing young woman who the Pastor accused of murdering one Eshe and his wife using diabolical tactics.
Speaking about the incident, Abu Buhari, a neighbourhood resident, stated that it occurred on July 5, 2024, and that the Pastor and his accomplices dehumanized and beat the 90-year-old Adishetu Atairu, his stepmother, and others.
Buhari stated that the event was reported to the police, who asked them to file a petition.
He stated that following the petition, the preacher was detained by the Police Area Command Office in Agenebode, Etsako East local government, on July 17.
He did, however, urge the police and other relevant government institutions to intervene to prevent communal and religious conflicts in the state and bring the culprits to justice.
He added that his stepmother and the other victims who had been assaulted and dehumanized were still suffering.
The Edo Muslims for Equity and Good Governance (EMEGG) praised the Nigeria Police Force and other security personnel for intervening before the situation deteriorated.
Sirajudeen Muhammad, the group’s coordinator, told Muslims in Edo State and around the world that justice for those who have been humiliated will not be compromised. He also stated that the pastor and two others had been charged in court.
“We were at the court today and we will always be present at the court”, he stated.
He said the case has been adjourned to August 7, 2024, for a hearing.
