“I Gave Her 15 Strokes” – Pastor Confesses to Flogging 13-Year-Old to Death

Pastor Okoye and Mother of the deceased

“I Gave Her 15 Strokes” – Pastor Confesses to Flogging 13-Year-Old to Death

A 45-year-old pastor in Cross River State has been arrested for allegedly flogging a 13-year-old girl to death with a horsewhip after she was accused of stealing N30,000 from her mother, with both the pastor and the victim’s mother now in police custody as investigations continue into the tragic incident that has sparked outrage in the community. The incident occurred on June 1, 2026, in Obanleku Community, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, when the victim, Nancy Peter, a secondary school pupil, was taken to the residence of Pastor Roman Samson Okoye, the General Overseer of Goodness of Jesus Ministry in Wula, by her mother, Agnes Peter, following allegations of theft.

The tragedy began when Agnes Peter discovered that the N30,000 she had kept at home was missing and accused her daughter of taking it, with a source at the Homicide Section of the Cross River State Police Command explaining that the mother took the teenager to the pastor’s house for discipline. “The woman complained that she had kept N30,000 at home and could not find the money when she needed it. She accused her daughter of stealing the money,” the source said. The mother left the girl with the pastor and went home, but by the time she returned, the pastor had allegedly flogged the girl with a horsewhip and was taking her to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

READ ALSO:

Agnes Peter, a mother of three, insisted she did not ask the pastor to beat her daughter, claiming she only wanted the cleric to counsel and pray for the girl. “It is true that I took my daughter to the pastor after I discovered that my N30,000 was missing from where I kept it. That was not the first time my daughter had stolen my money, and it was not the first time I reported her to the pastor,” she said. Agnes narrated that while at the pastor’s house, the teenager confessed to stealing the money and told her mother she had hidden it in one of her trousers. “That was when I quickly stood up to go and confirm where she kept the money, and I found my N30,000 in the pocket of one of her trousers. The pastor had not beaten her when I left to search for the money. It was while I was returning that I saw him rushing my daughter to the hospital. I met him on the way,” she explained. “I didn’t tell him to kill my daughter. I have reported her to the pastor before, and I only wanted him to scold and counsel her. I was not there when he beat my daughter. I only saw him taking her to the hospital,” she lamented.

Pastor Samson, however, gave a conflicting account, claiming the mother asked him to beat the teenager. The 45-year-old cleric, who is the founder of Goodness of Jesus Ministry in Wula, Boki LGA, said he had known the family for about four years and had supported them after the mother had marital problems. “When the woman came, she had nothing. She was rejected by her husband with two children. I began to fund their schooling and upkeep,” he said. The pastor alleged that Nancy had repeatedly stolen from her mother, with incidents reported to him more than 20 times. “On the day she brought the girl to my house, she complained that she had stolen her money again. She also complained that her daughter was in the habit of sleeping away from home. She told me that the girl stole her N30,000 and asked me to beat her. She also said she had already beaten her but wanted me to beat her as well,” he claimed. The pastor admitted using a horsewhip on the teenager but insisted he never intended to kill her. “I went for my horsewhip and started beating her. I only gave her about 13 to 15 strokes when I discovered that the girl became very weak. I quickly rushed her to the hospital, but she died by the time we got there,” he said. Visibly remorseful, Samson expressed regret over the incident: “I feel very sad. I didn’t want to kill her. It was her mother who insisted that I must beat her. She was like a daughter to me.”

The spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, ASP Ewa Eitokpah Sunday, confirmed the arrest of both suspects and assured that a thorough investigation was ongoing to ensure justice is served. “The Cross River State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Rashid Afegbua, assures residents of its commitment to sustaining the ongoing offensive against criminality and dismantling all criminal networks operating within the state,” the police spokesperson stated. The incident has triggered outrage within the community and beyond, with residents demanding justice for the teenager.