A pastor in Anambra State has been arrested following a series of disturbing allegations that he persuaded dozens of married women to abandon their husbands and become his wives.
The cleric, identified as Harrison Charles, founder of Day Spring Assembly in Awada, Onitsha, was apprehended by security operatives after multiple accusations surfaced on social media from individuals claiming to be victims, as well as their relatives.
According to the allegations, Charles allegedly convinced married women within his congregation to leave their spouses and join him in what he described as spiritual marriages. Some accusers further claimed that he encouraged wife-swapping among members of his church and, in certain cases, allegedly took other men’s wives for himself.
The arrest comes amid an intensified crackdown by the Anambra State Government on individuals accused of operating fraudulent religious ministries. The campaign recently led to the arraignment of eight self-styled pastors, prompting more alleged victims to come forward with accounts of exploitation and abuse.
Confirming the development, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s media aide, Dr Ejimofor Opara, disclosed in a Facebook post that the pastor was arrested by operatives of Agunechemba and subsequently handed over to the police for investigation
Opara stated that a joint investigation involving the Anambra State Police Command and the state government is now underway.
“Pastor Harrison Charles, founder of Day Spring Assembly in Awada, Onitsha, was arrested by Agunechemba operatives following a viral video containing several allegations against him,” Opara said
“He is currently under investigation by the police in collaboration with the Anambra State Government.”
In a further revelation, Opara said security operatives discovered 11 infants at the pastor’s residence during the arrest.
“During his arrest, about eleven babies were found in his home. He claimed to be the father of all eleven children and stated that they were born to eleven of his wives,” he said.
According to Opara, the pastor also told investigators that he could not accurately state the number of wives he had married or the total number of children he had fathered.
As investigations continue, the government has appealed to members of the public with relevant information to assist authorities.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Community Security, Prince Ken Emeakayi, urged anyone with knowledge of the allegations or related incidents to come forward and provide testimony to aid the ongoing probe.