SHOCKER: Man dies during church deliverance in Benin

There was confusion on Okwanga Street, around Uselu
Quartres, in the Egor Local Government Area of Edo
State on Tuesday when a 45-year-old man, Osayande
Ekhator, died during a deliverance session at a
Pentecostal church in the area.
It was gathered that the man had been taken to the
church, Hope Ministry, also known as Holy Ghost
Deliverance Centre, by his relatives for spiritual
cleansing on Monday, due to an undisclosed ailment.
He was also said to have indicated interest in the
spiritual exercise.
It was, however, learnt that tragedy struck when some
residents heard a loud cry from the church only to
discover the lifeless body of the deceased on the floor
of the church.
The death of the man was said to have attracted a
loud crowd of curious residents and mourners.
Some angry youths were said to have stormed the
church and vandalised property.
One of the residents, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said Osayande “probably fell on a hard
object”, as there were blood stains on his head.
“I think he must have hit his head somewhere. I saw
blood on his head when his body was placed in a
vehicle,” the resident said.
The father of the deceased, Pa Ekhator, said he knew
that the deliverance session had gone wrong when his
late son was thrown to the ground, with his hands and
legs tied.
“They tied him up and threw him to the ground. Then,
they poured a bucket of water on his body.
“When his mother queried the action, they said that
was the usual practice. Then, they said they wanted
him to rest; but after about five minutes she came out
crying that Osayande was dead.”
Osayande’s sister, who did not give her name,
lamented that her brother was “beaten to death by his
deliverers”.
She said, “They beat him to death. They removed the
clothes he wore, bathed him and gave him another
clothes.”
The Resident Pastor of the church, Mrs. Isoken
Ekundaye, denied beating the sick man to death.
“We don’t kill here. We don’t beat here. If they bring
insane people, we heal,” Ekundaye said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP
Stephen Onwochei, said the pastor had been arrested.
The police spokesperson added that the case had been
transferred to the State Criminal Investigation
Department for investigation.