The Anambra State Government has confirmed the arrest of Pastor Harrison Charles, founder of Day Spring Assembly in Awada, Onitsha, following allegations that he took members' wives for himself and was accused of marrying about 75 women, among other claims.
According to a statement from the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Media, Dr. Ejimofor Opara, the cleric was arrested by operatives of Agunechemba on Friday following viral videos containing several allegations against him. He is now being investigated by the police in collaboration with the state government.
Authorities said the arrest was carried out over alleged violations of the state's Homeland Security Law, including sexual misconduct, marrying underage girls, and allegedly taking church members' wives. Several individuals identifying as victims and relatives have circulated videos, testimonies and allegations online, claiming the pastor encouraged wife-swapping among congregants and took other men's wives as his own.
Officials disclosed that during the operation, security operatives found 11 babies in the pastor's residence. The cleric claimed to be the father of the children, stating they were born by 11 of his wives, though he said he did not know the total number of wives he had married or the total number of children he had fathered.
In one of the viral clips, an unidentified woman accused the pastor of widespread misconduct, including interfering in marriages, taking members' wives, marrying underage girls, and using charms to deceive congregants, and called on the government to investigate the church further.
The state government has urged anyone with additional information about the case to report it via the provided hotline as investigations continue.
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