Urges the Gov to extend same punishment to fake pastors
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AFAW), a non- governmental organisation (NGO) against witchcraft beliefs, has commended the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo for his clampdown on shrines.
According to Daily Sun, Director of the organisation, Leo Igwe, in a media chat in Owerri, the Imo State capital, described the Governor’s idea as a welcome development, advising him, however, to tread with caution to avoid acts that would discriminate against traditional religious worshippers.
Igwe maintained that shrines and other religious centres should not operate above the law or in violation of the law.
“I welcome the closure of shrines and places of worship that are being used to perpetrate fraudulent and criminal activities. Shrines and other religious centers should not operate above the law or in violation of the law,” he stressed.
“At the same time, I urge the Soludo government to tread with caution and avoid acts that would discriminate against traditional religious worshippers. Shrines are not alone in this fraudulent scheme.”
He also urged the Governor to beam his searchlight on churches and fake pastors who extort money from their congregation in the name of miracles.
“Soludo should also clamp down on other religious (Christian) centers that unscrupulous priests, pastors, prophets, self-appointed godmen and women are using to extort money, swindle unsuspecting believers and perpetrate Christian forms of Oke ite and other faith healing scams.
“In addition, Soludo’s government should ensure that this clamp-down on shrines is not weaponized and used as a pretext to infringe on the rights of traditional religious worshippers, or to demonize or delegitimize traditional religious worship,” Igwe stated.
