The Lagos State Police Command have rescued 13 children and 15 adults reportedly chained and locked up by a 70-year-old ‘pastor’, Emmanuel Adeyemi, in a house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu area of the state.
Adeyemi was arrested alongside his first wife, after he was accused of putting his son, Toba Adedoyin Adeyemi, 17, in chains and starving him of food because he wanted to deliver him from a wandering spirit.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, acting on a tip-off, deployed operatives from the Area ‘G’ Command Headquarters to the scene who rescued the victims and effected the arrest.
The command’s spokesman, SP Dolapo Badmus, disclosed that the victims, comprising six male adults, nine female adults, seven female children and six male children, had been taken into protective custody.
“On August 19, at about noon, the Command received information that a child was in chain in a house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu,” Badmus revealed.
“Consequently, the command mobilised a team of policemen to the location, where a 17-year-old boy (names withheld) was found in a room, allegedly chained by the suspect, who claimed to be his father, to restrain him from going out.
“Further search of the premises led to the discovery of other people chained by the suspect. Total number of 28 persons, comprising, six adult males, nine adult females, seven female children and six male children were rescued and taken to protective custody.
“The suspect has been arrested and currently undergoing interrogation as the command is working assiduously to get the root of the occurrence.”
However, the suspect’s second wife, Tope Adeyemi, appealed to the government to release her husband, insisting that he was only helping the victims cast off spirits that were troubling them.
