Lagos Pastor Chains Teenage Son, 27 Others

Police have arrested a Lagos-based pastor, Mr. Emmanuel Adeyemi, for allegedly chaining his son, 12 children and 15 adults at the Oke- Ira at Ojodu of the metropolis.

The police said they acted on a tipoff about the chained and locked up victims. When police raced to the scene, they discovered that the suspect’s 17-year-old son, Toba Adedoyin, was among those in chains.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, said that after receiving a tip-off from an anonymous person, he immediately deployed operatives at the Area ‘G’ Command Headquarters, to the scene.
The first information police received was that a teenage boy was chained up in the house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu. But policemen embarked on a search of the house and discovered 27 others who were chained and locked up.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the story. She said: “The command received a report through Area ‘G’ Command Headquarters, Ogba that a child was chained in a house at Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu. Consequently, a team of policemen was mobilised to the location, where a 17-year-old boy, named Toba Adedoyin, was found in a room with chain on his legs.
“The victim was chained by Emmanuel Adeyemi, who claimed to be his father. The suspect said that he chained his son to restrain him from going out. “A further search of the premises led to the discovery of other people chained by the suspect.

A total number of 28 persons, comprising six male adults, nine female adults, seven female children and six male children were rescued and taken to protective custody.

“Suspect has been arrested and currently undergoing interrogation as the command is working assiduously to get the root of the occurrence.” But residents of the area said Adeyemi usually cures mentally-challenged persons and those battling different ailments at his church.
Also, Adeyemi’s second wife, Tope, defended her husband. Tope appealed to the police to release her husband. According to her, Adeyemi only tied Toba because he wanted to deliver him from a “wandering spirit”.

Tope, who is pregnant, said her husband felt the spirits he cast off his clients were affecting his son who usually runs from home to unknown destinations for several months.

She said: “His father chained him on Thursday so that he can do three days’ deliverance on him. The deliverance would have been completed on Saturday but on Friday morning, police people from Area ‘G’ came here and arrested my husband. “He chained Toba because he is always running from home. The other time he ran to Sagamu and after sometime he was brought home.
One week later, he ran to Ibadan and he was found after one month. The last time he ran to Powerline and stayed there for two weeks before he was brought home.”
Tope said her husband became worried because Toba used to be a very gentle boy. She added: “My husband is not a criminal. He does not do anything bad. He only heals people and helps people. He has licence for the business. They should please release him.”