The Gombe State Police Command have arrested a pastor for torturing a 10-year-old boy with an electrical iron.
The suspect identified as Emmanuel, 34, who works with the Eagles Prophetic Gospel Centre in Gombe State was paraded alongside 15 other criminal suspects.
According to Daily Sun reports, the pastor is accused of child cruelty for inflicting physical injuries on 10-year-old Daniel James. The pastor accused his victim of theft, hence the cruel punishment meted out on him.
The pastor told Daily Sun that 10-year-old James was the son of an ex-prostitute who had become a born again Christian thanks to evangelism carried out by his church.
Pastor Emmanuel said: “The 10-year-old boy committed a crime of stealing, which has been his habitual character. So, on that day, I took another dimension of punishment; I used electric iron to threaten him and it burnt him.”
He added that he took the kid to come and live with him after the church helped his mother find a place to live and a business to sustain herself and her elder son who is 19-year-old.
“They lived close to an Almajiri School and the boy always had a problem with the Almajiris. So, I took him to live with me. I made a mistake of not reporting him to the police. I always report his character to the mother before I decide to punish him on my own. In the church, everybody knew me to be a very disciplined man.”
While reacting to the issue, Police Public Relations Officer, Obed Mary Malum confirmed the incident and said that the suspect has confessed using a hot electric iron to burn the 10-year-old boy in different parts of his body.
The police says the preacher will soon be prosecuted in court.
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