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Authorities in Anambra State have arrested a polygamous pastor accused of persuading dozens of married women to leave their husbands and join his household. The case has drawn national attention after images of the cleric and several children circulated online.
What the polygamous pastor is accused of
State security operatives took the pastor into custody over allegations that he convinced as many as 75 married women to abandon their husbands and move in with him. Viral social media posts showed the cleric at his home alongside several babies he reportedly described as his children by these women.
The man has been identified as Pastor Harrison Charles, founder of the Day Spring Assembly based in Awada, Onitsha. The Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, confirmed the arrest, saying it was carried out under the state’s Homeland Security Law of 2025.
The state’s wider crackdown
The arrest fits into a broader campaign by Governor Charles Soludo against what the state calls fraudulent and harmful religious practices. The administration has run public-awareness drives urging residents to report suspected fake pastors through a dedicated hotline.
Officials say the aim is to curb activities considered dangerous to public safety and family stability, while still respecting legitimate worship. The state has framed the effort as protecting vulnerable people rather than targeting faith itself.
A case that struck a nerve
The story spread quickly because of the claims involved and the images shared online. Many Nigerians reacted with concern about the welfare of the women and children said to be living in the pastor’s compound, while others urged caution until the facts are tested.
The allegations remain just that at this stage, and the pastor is entitled to a fair hearing. Authorities have not laid out the full legal process that will follow, and no court has ruled on the claims.
What happens next
With the pastor in custody, attention turns to any formal charges and how the state handles the women and children connected to the case. The outcome could also test how Anambra’s Homeland Security Law is applied to disputes that blend religion, family and public order.
The Homeland Security Law cited in the arrest is part of a wider effort by the state to tighten control over conduct it considers a threat to public order, from cultism to exploitative practices dressed up as worship. Officials say the law gives them clearer grounds to act, while critics of such laws everywhere caution that broad powers must be applied fairly and within constitutional limits.
The state government has spent months urging residents to be alert to clerics who exploit faith for control or profit. Its campaign encourages people to report suspected abuse rather than suffer in silence, and to test extraordinary claims before surrendering money, property or family ties. The latest arrest, officials suggest, is a high-profile example of that message being put into practice.
For the state government, the episode reinforces a message it has pushed for months: that religious freedom does not shield conduct it considers harmful, and that residents should report wrongdoing rather than stay silent. For now, the case sits with the authorities, who say their priority is the safety of everyone involved.
