Yahaya Bello orders closure of church, arrest pastor

The governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello has ordered the immediate closure of a church carrying out illegal and unlicensed medical activities, PM News reported.

According to the report, the church engages in the selling of "bulletproof water" and other absurd medical practices that does align with the norm of the profession.

Punch reported that the church named ‘The New Jerusalem’ was sealed on Monday, September 26.

Legit.ng gathered that the church was filled with young women who come for prayer and have been staying there for months. It was further gathered that some of the people seen in the church were those with mental illness seeking a miracle.

Meanwhile, the Pastor of the church, Adeiza Peter is currently in custody as investigations about his activities which range from fraud to the use of his church as a clinic for running psychiatric services without a certified license.

It was further gathered that quite a number of deaths have been recorded under the illegal services rendered by Peter.

Some of the victims include pregnant women, while others suffered a high degree of illness that led to their demise.

However, one Eneji Seidu an associate of Peter said the embattled pastor is a true man of God while he admitted that medical activities were in operation in the church.'

Contrastingly, Seidu noted that he was not aware of the deaths recorded in the church but was certain that the embattled pastor has performed a series of miracles that has healed a lot of people.

The Kogi state commissioner for information and communication, Kingsley Fanwo urged residents not to patronise unauthorised medical centers that are certified by the appropriate body in the government.

Fanwo revealed that after some background investigation about the pastor, it was discovered that he had no medical training.

He said Peter engages in extorting people, doing blood transfusions, and keeping the mentally ill people in the church claiming to be performing prayers and miracle for them.