Iruoma Okpalaebubu
The Rivers Police Command has paraded two alleged fake pastors apprehended by youths of Rumunduru in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Parading the suspects’ at the police headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, the spokesperson of the Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko recalled that on January 20, 2025, Youths from the Rumunduru community led by their President, Henry Worlu raided and arrested the two alleged fake Pastors.
She disclosed the names of the suspects’ as Pastor Umoren Bassey (60yrs), presiding Pastor of ‘The One God Deliverance Apostolic Church’ and Pastor Elijah Aniete (51), leader of the Power House of Glory International Gospel Church.
The police spokesperson also revealed that the suspects, Bassey and Aniete hail from Akwa Ibom State.
Iringe-Koko also disclosed “During interrogation, one of the suspects Pastor Umoren Bassey admitted that he uses spiritual materials and prays for people as directed by God. That he can use water and oil to heal people suffering from different spiritual afflictions and has been living in the community for over 17 years, healing and helping them.
“Umoren added that he uses the small casket and miracle life oil to pray for people afflicted with insanity and they get healed within three months”
Some of the items recovered from the suspects include: One cartridge, small wooden caskets, one sword, fake naval passport, thousands of people pictures, a baby shoe, police lanyard, different cross and other spiritual materials.
One of the suspects’, Bassey, told journalists during the parade that he does prayer with spiritual materials as directed by God.
He said “You can use water and oil to heal people, I have lived there so long, it is a land case that put me in this trouble. They used it to set me up.The community planted some of the materials they claimed they saw in my church.They searched my house without warrant.
“I have been healing people, helping the community. I have lived there for 17 years, some of the pictures you saw there is that of my son and some are my members.
“I use the small casket or miracle life oil to pray for mad persons.The mad person must be calm within three months. I use it to help the community people”, Bassey said.
On his part, another suspect, Aniete of Power of God House Ministry disclosed that he was in Bassey’s church having a meeting with him when OSPAC and the community came and arrested them.
Henry Worlu, the Youth President of Rumunduru in an interview with journalists stated that he was called by OSPAC commander in the community that Pastor Bassey was doing sacrifice at the road.
“In the morning, we went to his Church and he denied. He refused us entering, until we opened his chamber and saw all these items
“We did not see python and human body as people claimed, nobody assaulted him, we just handed them over to the Police”, the youth president explained.
Meanwhile, the police has further disclosed that the suspects and exhibits are currently in Police custody, while a discreet investigation is ongoing
.