A 14-year-old boy, Aondoakaa Yarkwan, has shared the harrowing details of the severe torture he endured after being falsely accused of stealing N200,000 in donations at St. Joseph Parish, Korinya, Benue State.
The boy was beaten into unconsciousness by church officials and local security personnel, only for the real culprit, a 12-year-old altar boy, to confess weeks later.
The incident, which has sparked outrage in the community, took place after a thanksgiving service on September 8, 2024, during which the congregation donated more than N200,000.
Yarkwan was responsible for safeguarding the money but was accused when the funds disappeared and were replaced with scraps of paper.
Recounting the ordeal, Yarkwan said he was first interrogated and taken to the Parish Priest, Rev. Father Emmanuel Doki.
“When I explained what happened, he slapped me three times, demanding I confess,” Yarkwan recalled. Despite denying involvement in the theft, he admitted to taking N3,000 but insisted he was not responsible for the missing balance.
Yarkwan was then subjected to brutal treatment by church leaders. The church chairman, Mr. Tartsegha, alongside Catechist Kumbur and Deacon Agber, reportedly flogged him with a ‘koboko’ (horsewhip) before handing him over to the Livestock Guards, a local security group.
Yarkwan revealed that he was taken to a notorious forest, Golgotha, where thieves are often burned alive.
“I lost consciousness from the beating,” Yarkwan said. His grandmother rushed him to a hospital for treatment after the severe torture.
Yarkwan’s mother, Benedicta Yarkwan, expressed her devastation over the abuse.
“My son is in so much pain, and nobody from the church has apologized or offered to help with his medical bills,” she said.
Weeks after the brutal incident, the truth surfaced when a 12-year-old altar boy confessed to stealing the bulk of the money.
Although only N10,000 was recovered, the church insisted Yarkwan’s family pay N80,000, a decision Benedicta Yarkwan strongly condemned.
“My son can barely breathe, and yet they blamed him for what the 12-year-old boy did,” she lamented.
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