Tension gripped Iguomon Community on the outskirts of Benin City, Edo State, after a dramatic confrontation involving a local pastor accused of having carnal knowledge of a pregnant married woman. The incident, which sparked outrage among residents, has left the community divided over the morality of both the alleged act and the manner in which the accused pastor was handled.
Eyewitnesses said the scandal broke out when the husband of the woman discovered the alleged affair and alerted community members. Some angry residents reportedly stormed the pastor’s residence, dragging him out in broad daylight. In scenes that resembled an exorcism session, the crowd descended on the clergyman, laying hands on him “as if they were casting out demons,” one eyewitness told StandardDailyPress.
While the pastor reportedly denied any wrongdoing, claiming he was simply offering the woman “spiritual counselling,” the visibly enraged husband insisted that the pastor had “overstepped his boundaries.” The pregnant woman at the centre of the controversy was said to have been whisked away from the scene by relatives.
The incident has stirred mixed reactions across the community. While some believe the pastor’s alleged actions are a grave betrayal of trust, others condemned the jungle justice meted out to him.
A legal practitioner, Barr. Emmanuel Oronsaye, warned that regardless of the moral outrage, “no citizen has the right to take laws into their hands.” He stressed that such matters should be reported to the police or brought before a court of law. “Even if the allegations are true, mob action is unlawful and could lead to more chaos or even a criminal charge against those involved.”
Some community elders, however, defended the reaction, saying pastors must be held to a higher moral standard and that the public discipline was meant to “shame sin and preserve community values.”
The Edo State Police Command is yet to officially respond to the incident, though sources confirm that an investigation may soon be opened.
As the dust settles in Iguomon, the debate continues: Was the pastor wrong? Yes, many say. But was the public reaction justifiable? That’s where opinions sharply differ.
Whatever the outcome, one thing remains clear — the pulpit in Iguomon has been shaken.
