Lagos State Police Command frees 28 chained people held by self-acclaimed prophet

DETECTIVES from the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a self-proclaimed prophet named Emmanuel Adeyemi after 28 persons were found chained in his apartment in the Oke-Ira area of the state.

 

When police operatives from Area G Command of the Lagos State Police Command raided Prophet Adeyemi's home on Olamidun Close, Oke-Ira, in the Ogba area of Lagos State, they found the victims chained in several rooms. Apparently, the victims, made up of 15 adults and 13 teenagers, were discovered after a neighbour gave the police a tip-off that a 17-year-old boy, Toba Adeyemi, who happened to be the suspect’s son, was chained in a room.

 

Police then stormed the house at about 12pm and found Toba and also discovered 27 others in a similar condition. Police spokeswoman Dolapo Badmos said that the suspect claimed that Toba and the 27 others were deranged and he chained them to cure their illness.

 

She added: “The report we initially received was that a boy, Toba Adeyemi, was being chained down by his father, a self-proclaimed prophet, in the estate. However, when we got there, it was more than just the boy as there were 27 others chained in various rooms in the apartment.

 

“The suspect claims to be a spiritualist and a prophet and said his work is to pray for sick people to get well. He said the victims were sick and he had been praying for their healing and had some magical inscriptions on the wall of his house."

 

His victims comprised of six adult males, nine adult females, seven female children, and six male children. Following their rescue, the police had handed them over to officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Youths, Sport and Social Development.

 

While some of the victims were taken to a shelter, others were said to have been rushed to hospitals. One local resident, who identified herself simply as Basirat, said that the prophet was known to run a home for mentally challenged people.

 

She added: “The police got a hint that the man chained his son, who has mental illness but the place is a home the man built for mentally challenged people. Policemen were here on Friday and they arrested him and his wife."

 

Ms Badmos, confirmed that the police had commenced investigations into whether the victims were mentally sick or not. She promises that the command will get to the root of the matter.