Lagos clergyman arrested for beating wife into a coma

Officers from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) have arrested and detained a clergy man, for beating his wife to the point that she went into a coma with a broken leg, the clergyman who is simply known as Prophet Emmanuel, beat his wife during an argument.

According to officials of the DSVRT, the prophet also restrained and chained his son within the church premises, the
church is located in the Berger area of the Lagos. The Prophet who is revered for his healing powers had also put 32 other members of the church who came for spiritual/mental healing in chains.

From what we have been able to gather, trouble started when his wife chaining of his son and the church members, resulting in the heavy beating she received. The DSVRT co-ordinator, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi has described the incidence as shocking and bewildering. She added that Lagos state, would no more condone acts of domestic violence and urged victims of sexual and gender-based violence to reach to the team.

The coordinator said: “The government is ready to fight all such cases and ensure that justice is done. The prophet who lives at Close Unity Estate, Imodium, Berger, Lagos, beat his wife, Funke and broke her leg.

“He also beat his two sons and chained one of the sons while one of them ran away from the house, claiming to be a prophet with healing powers. All incidents took place in his church, where there were 32 people in chains whom he claimed were being treated for mental illness.”

According to her, the team got to know of the incidence through the Lagos State distress call service and she noted that the team would ensure that justice was dispensed in the matter. However, in a dramatic twist to the case, the prophet was yesterday released by the senior police officer in charge of the case at Surulere Police Station. The officer said the release was based on the denials of both the prophet’s wife and his son, who did not want their husband and father to go to jail over charges of domestic violence.

The officer added that despite the denials, there was evidence of scars and a broken leg, which did show that the woman was truly attacked. The state government inaugurated the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) in September 2014 as a response to increased incidences of domestic violence, rape, child abuse, neglect, defilement and maltreatment.