A horrific tragedy has shaken the Wula community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, where a 13-year-old girl was allegedly flogged to death by her family pastor over a missing ₦30,000.
The Cross River State Police Command has arrested the General Overseer of Goodness of Jesus Ministry, 45-year-old Roman Samson, alongside the deceased teenager’s mother, Agnes.
The incident, which occurred on June 1, 2026, began when Agnes discovered that ₦30,000 kept in her home had gone missing. Suspecting her teenage daughter of the theft and of engaging in wayward behavior, Agnes took the girl to Pastor Samson’s residence.
According to police sources, the mother left her daughter alone with the cleric. By the time she returned, the pastor was already rushing the unconscious teenager to the hospital, where she was tragically confirmed dead.
While both suspects are currently in police custody, a blame game has erupted between the mother and the clergyman regarding who ordered the brutal punishment.
Agnes strongly denies asking the pastor to physically assault her child. She claims she only sought spiritual counseling and prayers to curb her daughter’s habit of stealing. Agnes noted that while she was away confirming her daughter’s confession—eventually finding the ₦30,000 inside a pair of trousers at home—the pastor took matters into his own hands. “I didn’t tell him to kill my daughter,” she lamented.
Pastor Samson painted a vastly different picture, claiming he had supported the single mother and her children for years. He alleged that on the day of the incident, Agnes brought the girl to his house and explicitly demanded that he beat her. “She told me the girl stole her ₦30,000 and asked me to beat her… I went for my horsewhip and gave her about 13 to 15 strokes before I noticed she had become very weak,” Samson confessed, expressing regret over the girl’s death.
The Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday, confirmed the arrest of both Pastor Samson and the victim’s mother.
“The Cross River State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Rashid Bello Afegbua, assures residents of its unwavering commitment to sustaining the ongoing offensive against criminality,” ASP Sunday stated, emphasizing that a thorough investigation is underway to ensure justice is served.
