The cleric accused of brutalising a staff of Rivers State Television (RSTV), Prophet U.O Miracle has refuted the claims against him, describing it as defamatory and malicious.
Glorious Abel, an Operational Director with RSTV, had cried out for justice, over the brutal beating he received from security officers attached to Prophet Miracle of the Dynamic Flame of Fire Ministries YKC, Woji in Port Harcourt last week Wednesday.
Narrating his ordeal, Abel said trouble started when the prophet sent a programme to the station for airing.
According to him, the programme, which was about thirty-eight (38) minutes was above the station’s normal airing time and he had to cut out some part in order to accommodate other programmes.
He disclosed further that after airing Prophet Miracle’s programme, hours later at about 10pm, the pastor drove into RSTV premises alongside some security officers and through the help of a station guard he was beaten up and whisked away to an unknown destination where he was severely tortured.
“Last night a terrible thing happened I was on duty working when Prophet Miracle sent his program to me through his boy to the station.
“When he came i checked the program timing and it was thirty-eight (38) minutes and it’s above the normal airing time, to accommodate other programs I had to cut out some part of the program.
“When the program was being aired, the part I cut did not show on the television, the pastor tried to reach me but he could not because prior to this time I have already blocked his line on my phone due to the constant disturbances I do get from him.
“At about 10 pm thereabout, the Pastor instructed one his boys to use his phone to call me and asked me to come meet him outside my work place, which I declined telling him it’s late to leave my office work environment at such hour.
“While I was still on duty working, I heard a knock on the office window and it was one of the RSTV guards, who told me to open the office entrance gate that the acting General Manager want him to pick something for him from the reception stand.
“I asked the security guard to tell me what exactly the thing he wants to pick so I can get it for him, but he insisted that he is the security guard on duty I should open the office entrance gate for him.
“I opened the entrance gate to him on trust as an RSTV guard, the moment I opened the door he signaled the Pastor who came down from his car with some armed Force men. They descend on me immediately hitting me with their guns.
“They whisked me away to an unknown destination and gave me a brutal torture, I was stripped off my clothes, laid on the floor and was flogged mercilessly. After the torture around 3am early hours of today they brought me back and dump me at RSTV gate.”
However, refuting the claims, the cleric in a statement by his lawyer, Henry Ekine, said his client’s church have been patronizing the TV station for over seven years.
He said his client had visited the station on the faithful day and stumbled on a fight between Mr Abel and a security officer.
According to the statement, “He, Senior Prophet U. O. Miracle, drove down to the main block of RSTV and he met Glorious Abel engaged in a serious fight with a security man who had inflicted those whip injuries on him.
“He, (Miracle), immediately intervened to separate the fighting colleagues. His security men who went with him also joined him and they eventually stopped the fight.
“He even sustained an injury on his right wrist. Then he inquired about the cause of their fight. It was a matter of accusation and cross-accusation of stealing of property of RSTV. The security man said he had always been accused of stealing and he has now caught Glorious stealing. Gracious accused the security man of stealing diesel.
“That this false allegation has maliciously defamed him, maligned his esteemed reputation, injured the image of the church and pitched him against the public and law enforcement agencies.
“He agrees that assault, brutality, torture, cruelty and all forms of inhumane treatments are condemnable, and he has never and will never indulge in such unlawful behaviour. He is certainly considering appropriate legal options against anyone who further maligns or disparages his reputation and the image of the Church.”
, Prophet U.O Miracle has refuted the claims against him, describing it as defamatory and malicious.){kind=link}