Seven people,among them four fake pastors are? in police custody in Lokoja,for attempting to defraud some people during? a revival programme in the state.
The pastors are? Bishop Bamidele Abraham of Eagle Kingdom Church, Lokoja, Pastor Chucks Ingalis Kelvin, Pastor Chinedu Okosisi and Pastor Samson Prince. Others include Osita Chukwu, Samuel Ike and Nnenanaya Anthony Ikechukwu, all from Rivers State.
Parading the suspects in Lokoja,the State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Kastina said the conmen who pretended to be pastors were apprehended while conducting ‘deliverance’ for people during a revival programme organised by one of them in Lokoja.
He said that Bishop Bamidele who is the pastor? of Eagle Kingdom church in Lokoja contacted Pastor Chuks and others from Port Harcourt, to assist him in raising money for his book launch.
He added that Chucks? who was an expert in deceiving people, came to the ancient city with his team who would act as? mermaid, deaf and dumb persons? during the revival, in order to win the sympathy of those who attend the programme.
The police boss explained that they acted upon receiving a complaint from one of the participants of the revival who was not comfortable with the manner in which the deliverance was being carried out and people were being asked to commit money? to the book launch of the host pastor, Bishop Bamidele Abraham.
In a brief interview with newsmen,’Pastor’ Chucks said that what they did was an exhibition of their talents insisting that every profession had its own way of survival.
He said that what happened was not robbery, but pure professionalism, stressing that every profession, whether police, lawyers or even journalists? had their own way of surviving.
According to him, “what I did is pure business and survival instinct”.
?Osita Chukwu who posed? as a mermaid said she was promised N16, 000,even as she disclosed that? she was only given N1, 000,with assurance that she would collect the balance after the? programme.