Police Rescue 15 Inmates Chained In Lagos Church

The Lagos State Police Command on Thursday said it has rescued 15 inmates chained in a church at Ijegun Isheri area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. Also, the owner of the prayer house, Prophet Sunday Joseph Ojo, 58, and 10 others have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Police Headquarters Stop Change Of Guard In Lagos Command(Opens in a new browser tab)

The police stormed the prayer house after a tip-off from a reliable source, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Bala Elkana, confirmed the arrest, saying that on Wednesday, at about 6:10pm, acting on information from a reliable source, a team of detectives from Isheri Osun Police Station led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Chike Ibe stormed a prayer House used as detention camp at No 26 Alafia Street, Oriofe Ijegun Isheri, where the Prophet, Sunday Joseph Ojo, 58, and 10 others were arrested.

“Fifteen persons who were chained on the legs were rescued. Some of the victims were said to have spent five years in the detention camp. The victims are between ages 19 and 50, male and female.

“Some of them were brought by their families to seek spiritual help from mental illness and other diseases. The Prophet said he has been in the healing ministry since 1986. That he chained them in order to prevent escape.

“Investigation is ongoing. Police are working closely with other agencies of government to provide adequate medical attention and shelter to the victims,” Elkana said.

Also in a related story in Kaduna where the Kaduna State Police Command has raided another rehabilitation centre in Kaduna, where 147 inmates mostly in shackles were found.

The police raided NIGAS Rehabilitation and Skills Acquisition Centre located at Rigasa in Igabi Local Government Area, at about 8 am on Saturday. According to him, Gov. Nasir  El-Rufa’i led the operation at the centre which had male and female inmates.