Pastor accused of running a ritualist' den in Ikorodu tells his side of the story | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Saturday 12 July 2014

Pastor accused of running a ritualist' den in Ikorodu tells his side of the story

Ernest Nwankwo, the head pastor and General Overseer House of Mercy, accused of running a ritualist' den in Ikorodu, has finally told his own side of the story. The pastor was arrested after one of his church members, Mrs Rosemary Chukwu, abducted a 6 year old boy in her neighborhood and told police after she was caught that her pastor Ernest Nwankwo had sent her to bring the boy. (Read here)

Speaking about the incident for the first time, Nwankwo told Vanguard he doesn't even know the lady
"I do not know how these allegations of ritual actions against me started. My ministry has existed for 17 years and we have never been associated with any bad thing or any untoward allegation. We have been doing well in carrying out God’s work since we came into existence. We have rehabilitation center where mad people are healed. Relations of such people bring them to our ministry and also stay with them until they are healed after which they will go home. We do not charge them, we feed them free. So, the ministry has been flourishing in all our branches. Continue...

“When I got to the office on Wednesday, June 15 to do some work and leave for Abuja for another programme, within 20 minutes, around 7.30am, a group of people, armed with dangerous weapons invaded our ministry, breaking down everything at sight. They also descended on our members who were over 50 in attendance for the morning worship.

They were over 300 and were ferociously destroying all the properties and manhandling everybody. It was like hell was let loose on us. They were armed to the teeth and were unrestrained in their bid to destroy everything in the ministry.

They not only subjected our members to serious beating, they also took all their bags and stripped all the women and children naked. I was inside the office when they invaded the place but they later broke into my office and descended on me. We were all seriously wounded and our bodies covered with blood. 

RESCUE
Surprisingly, four of the hoodlums took pity on me and rescued me from their clutches as they were hitting my head with cutlasses and dangerous weapons. They took me to Owutu police station where I made a statement. When they asked me how it started, I could not explain but simply told them that some hoodlums invaded our ministry for no just cause.

It was while we were there that the people that rescued me told us that a woman claimed I sent her to kidnap somebody’s child. It was like a fairy tale to me. Before the police I asked for the identity of the woman and why she claimed I told her to kidnap somebody and they said it was for ritual purposes. After I recovered from the shock, the policemen then advised that I should go and treat myself because I was bleeding profusely as a result of the beating.

I then proceeded to the hospital for treatment only to start reading in the papers the following day a lot of other damaging stories and that I was on the run. I personally reported to the police at Owutu in Ikorodu after treating myself and also personally reported at Panti the following day on a Monday. 

AT PANTI
By Thursday morning, unfounded rumours were flying every where. On Friday, while I was going to treat myself, I quickly sent my lawyer to Panti after hearing the rumours flying everywhere about me and that the case was transferred to Panti.

My lawyer told them that I personally reported to the police at Owute after the incident and that I was allowed to go and treat myself. He then wrote an undertaking to produce me the next Monday and we all came to Panti that Monday straight from the General hospital Ikeja where I had an x-ray.   Even one of my ribs was said to have cracked and I sustained other serious injuries. 

INTERROGATION AT PANTI
I can’t remember seeing or meeting the woman before. A lot of people come to my ministry so, it will be very difficult for me to know all of them. However, the police at Panti interrogated both of us and, in fact, when they brought her before me, I could not remember seeing her in life and I told the policemen this fact. I can’t even remember whether she called me on telephone or not because I cannot say the number of people that call me on telephone for my number is open and given to people freely to help in solving their spiritual problems.

Nevertheless, the police interrogated both of us, she claimed that Holy spirit told her that I should give her N2.5 million, and that she came and told me to give her the money but I told her that I had no money, that she came back again to me and requested for the money and I then told her to go and bring a child before I will give her the money.

I then asked her where we discussed this, if she has any evidence to show that she ever visited my ministry because visitors to the ministry always register their names before seeing me, or if there is any other evidence to show that we discussed that kind of thing. I punctured her story because I cannot understand what concerns me with her message with her Holy spirit. 

SUCKING BLOOD
She also claimed that I have been seeing her in the spirit to suck her blood and that of her daughter with two gallons since she failed to bring a child to me. She claimed that I used to stand at her door for two days, tormenting her, and that was why she had to go for the child when she was caught.

I asked her where we met and discussed because I have been out of town for two weeks and how did she know that I came back. She said she was aware that I came back because I used to carry out consultations. It is well known by everybody that my consultation days are announced for members of the public to come and be healed. She also claimed she called me on phone in December last year and that she came to the ministry once this year but she could not substantiate where we discussed her claims.

She was thoroughly interrogated but she kept on contradicting herself as if she was either insane or under a spell. Unfortunately, her daughter she claimed I was sucking her blood with hers whom she said was 14 years was not there during the interrogation.

I had hoped that she was there for us all to be able to decipher what her mother was talking about because she is old enough to speak for her self at 14. I have never had this kind of ugly experience and I pray never to have it again. I also pray that the police should endevour to get to the route of this case because I have suffered so much over a matter I do not know anything about. 

KIDNAP SAGA
The man that was shown saying he was kidnapped and brought from Anambra State is one of the mad people undergoing treatment in my ministry. The cousin that brought him to the ministry is Mr. Atuanya, a member of my ministry and his wife has been with him in the ministry while he was undergoing treatment. They are living witnesses and they are ready to testify to anybody that cares to know the truth.

This rumor against me is very painful to me because I suffered for over fourteen years to build this ministry to serve mankind. All of a sudden, and from the pit of hell, an unknown figure materialized from no where to pour odium on me and accuse me of ritual acts. In all these years, nobody has ever complained or petitioned against my activities in the ministry.

Instead, people have been pouring encomiums and giving glory to God for all we have been doing for mankind. The whole thing is still like a dream and I pray I would wake up and testify that it was really a dream. My ministry operates an open door policy, we have no go areas, both visitors and members of the ministry are never restricted even up to my personal office. Why must I send her to bring a child to me when I am happily married with children, what will I do with the child? 

INCALCULABLE DAMAGE
This very ugly development has affected me psychologically in a tremendous way, the emotional trauma is untold. In terms of the good will I built over the years, the name, in fact, one cannot quantify the degree of destruction done to me by this very ugly and unfounded, mischievous rumor. I have suffered and lost almost everything because the ugly news went beyond the shores of this country.

People have been calling from all the parts of the world and you know that bad news travels faster than any other thing. It is very unfortunate that people believe such a story when there is nothing at all to hang it on the head of the prophet. And, when you look at the woman, you will know that she is some how deranged and we are convinced that by the time police finish their investigation, the truth will be out. 

WHY ME?
What I cannot fathom is why she choose to tell all these lies against me. She may have been sent by somebody to run me down because people in that neighborhood said they saw one mysterious SUV hovering around in the wee hours before the incident and also the mother of the victim reportedly said she saw an exotic vehicle that later picked up her children,.

Police should investigate to find out who owns the vehicle and where they were taken to. Who ever picked her children must have a link with this incident.

Police should also find out whether this is the first time she is doing this kind of thing and if it is not, how many people must have falling victims to her antics? Worse still, so far, nobody has told us where the woman is from because the way the media descended on the ministry, they left out the main ingredient of the whole matter as if they were sponsored to run down the ministry.

All I know is that she cannot be doing this alone. Her sponsors should be fished out. So far, the police has been professional in their interrogation and they made us understand that investigations will take time and that the truth must surely surface. 

INSIDE THE CELL
Inside the cell, I detested being treated like a criminal but I took it as another message point in terms of ministration after all, Jesus went through worst tribulation in life.

105 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello bitches and whores

ejike capable said...

Na wa.

NaNcY DreW said...

TYPICAL

Anonymous said...

All evil works mst be made open. Only God knows d truth of d matter. Pretex4luv@yahoo.com

Bonita Bislam said...

Truth never lives old.we shall soon know the saint in this saga

Anonymous said...

Nne gi whore.....

Olubukola Ozone said...

Well, God knows best

jbankzE said...

Plz jst shut up nd say sumfin else.... Is clear ds man is workin wif politicans nd dey r turnin evryfin on d woman now.... Mad pple indeed,ur lies is jst too clear jare.I jst pity fr d woman who went into ds rubbish wifout vin connectn.....ds mad pastor ve connectn nd now he is free 2 kip killin,Nigeria wil nva change.....

~@iamJbankz Olamide's PA~

Unknown said...

Don't even know what else to believe

Amarachukwu. said...

Only the one above knows the truth n have the answers,so let him be the one to Judge you.

Anonymous said...

Lord have mercy
Cooldavoe@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

He is telling d truth,may God expose all evil doers.

Unknown said...

Kk

Anonymous said...

I don't trust people anymore, in God i trust, i have seen a young friend framed up because of his money, police jailed him for 5 years and he later died..only to realized it was a set up and supermarket crumbled. People scared me nowadays.

whitefalcon said...

That's why I don't involve myself in any negative report shout men of God, whether his real or not. Everybody have different level of grace. U go dey where u dey run down a man of God,he'll amend his ways and make peace with God while u incur the anger of God upon yourself.

Instead of running dem down, we should pray for them. Shekina!!

Anonymous said...

Why does he talk like his church is a business

katrina said...

God na u know all o

Anonymous said...

Like I said earlier. Only God knows those he truly called. We as humans just need to be careful that's all..

Jenny says

Anonymous said...

wow

Unknown said...

we dnt know wat d truth is sef

Anonymous said...

This man is a fucking lier....for saying this is the first time such a scandal is coming to him. I live not too far from him infact 2 bus stop to his church. He was ones accussed of rituals with cows...and the church went down before it started functioning well. The woman can not just say something like that with out no truth in it. You said you work for Christ and you heal mad people by chaining them. Where in the scripture did you hear that Jesus Chained insane people? Or where in the scripture did you hear it took christ 2 years to heal anybody of any illness? Please get your story straight and tell the world what is right and stop misleading people all this end time people. In every rumor there is element of truth.

DOBY DOBY said...

Seriously I dnt believe any of dem esp nw election is at d corner. God knws d truth and al men shall give account of deir life. .

Anonymous said...

hmmm...nkemdirimeverista111@gmail.com

hhh said...

You're just a big fool! Don not judge

Unknown said...

People Must learn how to investigate before publishing. Atleast U all can see that he did not run. For those saying he is working with politician, wait and see. God can Never be. Decieved, What ever we sow we must reap. All those behind this evil must be exposed. I strongly believe that Prophet Ernest Nwankwo is Innocent of this accusation

Anonymous said...

Only time will tell, we live in a wicked world
www.justhealthng.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Don't insult People, All the Truth to surface

Anonymous said...

Supper story

Unknown said...

Only God will judge...don't knw who is sayn d truth naw, but d truth must be out

Unknown said...

But mr pastor who ordained u?

Unknown said...

Anon 1:13 ina atupuru ezi afu onu?

Anonymous said...

God take control.. patoswife@gmail.com

Unknown said...

End. Time

Unknown said...

Dis man dey lie

Zoe Ami said...

He sounded convincing

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Don't know who to believe
God knows best

Anonymous said...

True Talk

Unknown said...

na wa oo..


C.E.O

Anonymous said...

I know JESUS warned us about d comin of d false prpht,but if truly dis whole saga was a set up?then keep strong,d lord will vindicate u.but if u know u're lyin,am sorry to say dis is just d beginin,unless u surrender to God.

APPLE said...

I dont trust this man.

Anonymous said...

oloshi kaabo

Unknown said...

Na wa o,wu do we believe now?... follow me on instagram i'll follow bk teemah_salau

Anonymous said...

Kiping ma fingers crossed..next #colors

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Dear God,vindicate this man if he's saying the truth,but expose him and other evil pastors if he's not saying d truth.

Anonymous said...

I have been accused wrongly before. God will surely vindicate His people.

Anonymous said...

Nne gi na Nna gi bitches and whores...


XDON D DON

Anonymous said...

To me dis pastor is lieing,weight his statements very well,maybe u guys will observe wat am trying to say, and one other thg,some liers talk to much wen being caught becos dey will be trying to defend themselves. To me all those while this pastor went missing,probably he went to wash himself d more of dis particular issue so he wouldn't be found guilty, see his statement wit confidence bcos he has done some under ground works. Of every person in d society, d woman choose to point u out, you were given too much time to arrange ur lies.. May God expose all of dis evil doers, u re happily married wit children,wat will u do wit d child, sounds innocently (rubbish) as if u don't knw wat pple like u do wit other pple's children dat re nt urs.

Anonymous said...

I don't knowoooooooo, but why him??? is he the only pastor ni?????.Same thing wt pastor fire man, he claimed he didn't know the boy.

Faith Ogaga said...

Which 1 we go believe na ???? LSR 916 CG army green Golf 3 stolen from my home Ajuwon/Akute ...tx

Anonymous said...

Be careful young man. Do not dismiss this man so flippantly. He may be innocent. I bet u had never heard of the man, his ministry and neither did u know the woman until the story came to press. So, u are not in a vantage position to know what actually transpired. Remember, it is better for an innocent man to go free than for 100 guilty ones to be punished. A word is enough for the wise.

Chyke
City: Unknown.

Unknown said...

From my own point of view I don't fink this man is telling the truth!

exciting lifestyle consult blog said...

I SAID it! Dis is Jst plans frm d pit of he'll to tarnish dis man's image. I knw pst Ernest, he realy hav d anointin. God plz tak control

Anonymous said...

Emmm! I'm Short of words

Unknown said...

Lepa shandy must be learning to speak English...lol.. Agaracha. Malnourished idiot.

Anonymous said...

This moronic idiot Lepa shandy must be learning to speak English. You need to find time to eat instead of insulting responsible people with your stupidity. Ewuuuuuuuuuu

Anonymous said...

This man is a liar! When will people wake up and STOP believing in these ROGUES and RITUALISTS who pretend to be Pastors!

Anonymous said...

Dis pastor is just a blatant liar. I can c holes in evrytin he said.

Veektorious said...

Who knows the truth now! Na only God.

Unknown said...

Their should be no room for jungle justice in our land (we can make an exception if our poliTRIcians are on the receiving end). Justice should be served.

Unknown said...

It has not called for insult yet, remember the Aluu 4 in PH, they were wrongly accused n set ablaze, now we know they are innocent but they are no more living. As law abiding citizens, we all should be interested in knowing d real truth and not just to be in haste n condemn, jungle justice does no one any good.

From the woman's confession at police station she said she was at the prayer ministry only twice whole of last year n just once this year, so it still beats me how the press got d info that she was a prayer warrior n qoir mistress there when she could best be tagged a visitor.

The pastor claims the people referred to as on chain for ritual purpose are actually still at the rehabilitation centre with their relatives, so why can't the press do all of us good and get to the relatives with the ones in chains let's hear directly from them?, why can't the press tell us any other thing about the real kidnaper as she was caught in d act she must have partners, where are her so called 4 children now?, who Is hiding them?, where is her husband n relatives?, let's hear from them also, because if by any chance the pastor happens to be clean, then it simply means that the suspect partners in crime are still free running around who could pose more dangers to more of our children, let's all get to the root of this matter n not just rush to condemn the pastor, remember all of us have enemies n evil could be orchestrated against anybody please.

Jessica said...

Ashawo, stupid daughter of a bitch.

Anonymous said...

How do u know for sure?

best baby said...

God has d final say

Anonymous said...

When police and money jam together in naija, sooo much can be achieved! No be today

Anonymous said...

I hope he is saying the truth

Anonymous said...

I hope he is not lying?

Anonymous said...

How can u jst jump into conclusion, why not allow law enforcement do they work professionally. Casting stone as if u are a saint.

Linda's Elder Sister. said...

God please may I not be set up like this oh, the evidence is tru but the story is false.

Anonymous said...

May God help us all

sabrina said...

Don't know what to say or think...but only God knows the truth in this matter..and till he decides who's lying ..I will rest my case

Anonymous said...

You are a coward. Read in between the lines once more and tell yourself the truth.

Monisola said...

Lord have mercy on us and this country as a whole

Unknown said...

Nollywood film....

Mzz_Mary said...

Hey biatch
Wth have u been

lotanna said...

The article is too long. Didn't actually finish reading. but make people no dey accuse men of GOD. Although I don't know if dis man is of GOD

Anonymous said...

Repent!!!! 4 d kindom of God is near..... #Doro Classy#

Anonymous said...

we shall all knw the truth, bcos the press has been one sided with this issue. Thats y i neva believe everytin i read in d dailys . Now we are hearing from the horses mouth. I pity those dat have ignorantly rant against the innocent .. awaitin as d event unfolds

Anonymous said...

let God b d judge

Unknown said...

Bia dis man na only u waka com? Which kind encyclopedia com b dis one. Are u a learner? If u committed a crime just nwayoli admit to ur crime and stop blabbing.

tasha I said...

U need brighter grammar mate.

Unknown said...

U should b d 1 2 shut up. Just keep ur eyes open cus I know d truth will be out its only a mata of tym. Wat he has explained is exactly was a close person to him has told me. Na God get mata.

sweetie said...

GOD no better,thou shall not judge

Anonymous said...

I believe him. The police should interrogate the woman very well, she will own up. If holy spirit told her that bro. Ernest will give her #2. 5m, how come the same holy spirit did not work on him to release the money. That woman might be an agent as far as am consign. If his ministry is of God, God will vindicate him.

Anonymous said...

hmmm...nkemdirimeverista111@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Only God knows the truth, let the woman be thoroughly interrogated... I just they won't kill her before she opens up... but something in me is still not believing this man, but like I said, only God knows everything!

Anonymous said...

D man raised good questions Buh how cld it b a plan to bring him down,did d lady expect to get caught,hmmmm I small puff puff Niger police watch NCIS N LAW n ORDER u ll solve d case Buh jst incase d MENTALIST can help

Anonymous said...

Very simple matter.
pls take those people they claimed to be insane to the hospital and test their brains.
pls for once let us do things right in this country.
am not supporting this man but many people including xtians themselves are all working to damage the name of God in Nigeria.

Anonymous said...

I know. One thing.
if it is true that this man was caught and was taking to the police as a ritualistic.
police can never allow him to go and treat himself instead they will take him to the hospital by themself.
pls if it is true that police allowed him to go as he claimed then we need to cry out quickly before they bury the case.
we are not fools this statement has really implicated the police.
The lawyers has thought him what to say not knowing the he is implicating the police.
a whole community wanted to kill you .after injuring you .you were latter taking to the police. and the police release you to go and treat yourself
latter you came back to the police.
pls sir tell your lawyer to cook another story for you.
so police released you same day so that people can kill you by themselves
pls Nigerian tell the police to issue statements now.
i sense that this man was in the one that influence the transfer of this case to panti

Anonymous said...

Police can never release him to go and treat himself outside in that situation
that is point one
let them go and test the sanity of those victims rescued

Anonymous said...

Shai.you were handed over to the police for an alleged kidnapping and ritualistic by people that more than hundred that are even ready to set you ablaze and the police advice you to go and treat yourself because you were bleeding profusely .
we want to know
1 .whether you wrote statement
2 who bail you
3 which of the police advise you to go and treat yourself
4 when you were leaving for the treatment what was the reaction of the people that took you there
these are supposed to be the relivant questions from the people that interview him but our press are so daft one way traffic oversenstional.
the only thing they know is speaking English even more than the language owners .
rubbish generation of fools
and if they take this man to cout now over one year all what you will be hearing is .As your lordship pleases without any progress

Anonymous said...

No one criminal in Nigeria are lawyers
go and investigate

Anonymous said...

Iow can the police let you go on your own to go and treat yourself.
even in Mexico where drug dealers are the godfathers of the police.i don't think they can do a thing like that.
pls oga lawyer teach him another lies

Unknown said...

Over 2 u God xposed them all.

Unknown said...

This Pastor is a confirm liar....

Anonymous said...

Igbo ritualist and a liar,all these idiots supporting him,it's cos that's ur Nna broda,evil ppl

Unknown said...

U talk like unreasonable human being.

ZeeZee said...

He even has a side??? Pastor and ritualist den in the same sentence and he has a side!!!! Unfortunately I do not belive it and I'm the type that has good God given instincts - please, take several seats

chigozie Anumba said...


U people should say what u No &what u see,thou shall not judge,My prophet is sayin d truth,I believe in my prophet&any word he says is truth.because all is prophetic messages is truth.

Unknown said...

Prophet Ernest is innocent and God will expose all those that planned this terrible act to destroy his good name and reputation.

Anonymous said...

Only God can say

flexycouture@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

linda please post this comment. I Have known prophet Ernest and the ministry for more than 8 years now. I known he runs a rehab centre too. this women from the pit of hell should explain her sponsors. Holy Family Happy Family

Anonymous said...

linda please post this comment. I Have known prophet Ernest and the ministry for more than 8 years now. I know he runs a rehab centre too. this women from the pit of hell should explain her sponsors. Holy Family Happy Family

Anonymous said...

Jesus said on the cross my lord my god why have dy forsaken me,pls u pple should not kill dat woman bcos if actor die movie don finish.nd u should know dat naija love money more dan their life.UNA C ANY NAIJA REFERY FOR WORLD CUP?

celestina said...

Linda he is not a pastor rather a prophet. Pls always know d truth of story before you publish. Prophet Ernest is a real prophet of God. I have known him for long. His ways is very clean. He is somebody that knowns God. That woman jst arose from the pit of hell to tarnish the prophet image and d ministry.

Unknown said...

Rehabilitation centre follows a personalized treatment plan. Professionals at these centers conduct comprehensive diagnosis along with psychological assessment and physical tests. This kind of in-depth analysis enables them to figure out an individualized treatment plan for their patients. Even family therapy sessions are conducted.

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