Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries has denied a prayer house” inside the one of its churches in Okija, Anambra State, where over 100 men and women who were said to be mentally unstable.
The discovery of the facility was shared on Instagram by the Behind Bars human rights’ activist, Harrison Gwamnishu.
Harrison said that he and his team visited the place after receiving a distress call from one of the occupants, Ekene, who had been in chains for the past two years.
He said Ekene claimed that his mother and uncle brought him to the facility after denying him access to his travel documents.
“This is not a Prison yard or Psychiatric rehabilitation Centre. The boy we met in the church told us it’s a prayer house. This place is situated within Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries OKIJA, Anambra State.
“Last two weeks, we received a distress call from one Ekene and today we were at Okija to verify his story. Ekene told us he’s been chained in this detention for the past two years and that his mother and uncle denied him access to his travelling documents and brought him to Okija.
“We have reached out to the Anambra State Police Command and the Divisional Police Officer in Okija but they could not assist us to rescue Ekene due to lack of manpower. We are putting up this video and hoping Ekene and others will be heard and the truth about their situations revealed”.
But the church in a statement denied authorising the facility. It also said it had ordered the shutting down of the facility while the pastor has also been called back to its headquarters.
“It came to the notice of the Leadership of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) on Tuesday (23rd August, 2022) that a place in Okija in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State was allegedly being used to detain, chain and hold people hostage against their will in the guise of conducting deliverance.
“We (MFM) got the information with a rude shock as that is completely alien to our practice all over the world.
“Although the alleged pastor is one of our pastors, the said facility is a private property of the pastor and his activities of conducting such kind of deliverance is not with the knowledge nor approval of the church leadership.
“In his response to our preliminary investigation, the pastor claims the respective candidates who were being brought to him for prayer against mental ailment and drug addiction usually have their guardians to sign an undertaking for them
“The above notwithstanding, we have immediately directed the said pastor to shut down the illegal facility being used in the name of the ministry and to report to the HQ for further actions.
“We are currently in touch with the relevant law enforcement agencies and the family members to ensure that issues are properly addressed and justice served accordingly”
