Delta State’s Police Command PRO, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, on Tuesday confirmed that 3 worshipers of a church located in the outskirt of Warri, died during a deliverance service.

He went further to disclose that one of the deceased drowned, while two others died during a prayer session in the church at the weekend.

“The information actually is that one worshipper drowned and two died in the church; that is the information available to me at the moment,” Aniamaka said.

According to NAN, a source who spoke with newsmen identified those who died as; 10-year-old boy Emmanuel Odili; Mrs Beatrice Nwachukwu and Mr Antonio Abba. The source who pleaded anonymity, added that the late Odili, had on Friday accompanied his mother to the church to worship, but fell into a pit inside the church premises and died, his corpse was later found on Saturday, by members of the church after he had been declared missing by his parents.

The source said that the church authority deposited the remains of the boy at a morgue before reporting the incident at Eburumede Police Station.

“The authority of the church alleged that the deceased had mental disorder which was denied by the parents.
“While the matter was being investigated, some members of the church on Saturday came to report that Mrs Nwachukwu and Mr Abba had died during deliverance in the church.
“They (church authority) said that Nwachukwu slumped during the prayer session; they also claimed she had high blood pressure but the husband denied it.”

When contacted, the spokesman of the church, Mr Godday Emiko, denied the allegation through a text message.

“Sorry, I miss your call, there is nothing like that,” Emiko said.