Lagos pastor, Rev. Tom Joseph Arrested Over Death Of 6-year Old Girl
- Rev. Tom Joseph, has been arraigned before the Yaba Magistrate’s Court following an allegation that he gave some concoction to a six-year old girl, Victoria Duff. She allegedly died instantly after drinking the substance.
- The pastor is now facing a murder charge before the presiding Magistrate, Mrs S. K. Matepo.
- It was learnt that the 49-year old cleric allegedly prophesied to the parents of the victim that she was possessed of evil spirits and needed to be delivered.
- During the deliverance at his church located at 2, Joseph Kayode Street, Oke-Ira, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, he reportedly gave the girl some concoction which she drank.
- P. M. NEWS gathered that immediately the girl drank the substance, she slumped and died.
- The parents of the victim insisted that their daughter was killed by the pastor due to the poisonous substance she drank.
- They argued that it was not the popular anointing oil often used for deliverance as claimed by the pastor, otherwise their daughter would not have died.
- The matter was reported at the Oke-Ira Police Station and the pastor was arrested while the matter was transferred State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos where he was interrogated before being charged to court.
- The police alleged that the offence he committed was contrary to Section 221 of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
- He pleaded not guilty and the presiding magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties who must own a landed property in Lagos State.
- The matter was adjourned till 12 July, 2012 while he was remanded in prison custody at Ikoyi pending when he would meet the bail conditions.
- —Cyriacus Izuekwe
- via PM News
