Amadi recounted his ordeal on Facebook, stating that while returning from work, he noticed flames within the church premises.
A journalist, Amadi Precious, was reportedly beaten unconscious by members of Salvation Ministries after raising an alarm about a fire outbreak at Glorious Chapel, located at 17 Birabi Street, GRA, Port Harcourt.
Amadi recounted his ordeal on Facebook, stating that while returning from work, he noticed flames within the church premises.
Acting swiftly, he assisted in evacuating chairs and fetching water to contain the fire. He also repeatedly called the Rivers State Fire Service, but his distress calls went unanswered.
Despite his efforts, some church members allegedly turned on him, accusing him of being a spy and falsely claiming he had been sent to attack the church’s leader, Pastor David Ibiyeomie.
The situation escalated as they reportedly beat him mercilessly, damaged his two phones, and inflicted multiple injuries.
In an attempt to seek help, Amadi posted an SOS message on Facebook, which further enraged the church members. He alleged that under the supervision of some junior pastors, he was subjected to further assault, accused of causing the fire, and locked in a room for several hours.
He was eventually released around 1 AM the next day, but not before church members allegedly deleted his social media posts and wiped data from his phone to erase evidence.
Amadi said despite clear signs of a fire, they continued to deny that an incident had occurred.
He said, "Good morning, everyone. I am here to share my ordeal at the hands of overzealous members of Salvation Ministries, Glorious Chapel, located at 17 Birabi Street, GRA, Port Harcourt.
"While returning from work, I noticed a fire outbreak at the church premises. Agitated by the situation, I rushed in to assist members of Salvation Ministries by helping to evacuate chairs and fetch water in an attempt to contain the fire. I also repeatedly called the Rivers State Fire Service, but there was no response. Despite my efforts to contact emergency services, my calls went unanswered.
"As I was actively helping, some overzealous members of the church turned on me. My only ‘crime’ was raising an alarm and calling for help to ensure the fire was extinguished.”
“To my shock, they began beating me mercilessly, damaging my two phones, and inflicting multiple injuries on me. Their justification? They accused me of being a spy and alleged that I was sent to attack Pastor David Ibiyeomie," he explained.
According to Amadi, in an effort to seek urgent intervention, he posted an SOS message on Facebook, alerting the public and calling for help.
He said, “This enraged the church members even more. Under the supervision of some junior pastors, they subjected me to further assault, calling me names, accusing me of causing the fire, and even locking me in a room for hours.
"I was eventually released around 1 AM the next day, but not before they deleted all my social media posts and wiped data from my phone, erasing evidence of my distress call. They continued to insist that there was no fire outbreak, despite clear evidence to the contrary.
"I want to make it clear that I had no ulterior motives. I am a journalist based in Port Harcourt, and I acted purely out of concern for the situation. I am also a churchgoer in my local area and had no intention of maligning Pastor David Ibiyeomie or the church.
"Despite my genuine efforts, I was brutally beaten, accused of being an enemy of the church, and locked up under the supervision of a pastor. I was told to deny that the fire ever happened. I was left injured, with my phones destroyed, and warned not to speak up.”
"This will not be the last that is heard of this injustice. I demand accountability for the actions of those who assaulted me. My only "crime" was calling the authorities to help put out a fire. I refuse to remain silent, and I will ensure that justice is served," Amadi added
Meanwhile, Salvation Ministries admitted to a fire outbreak in a statement signed by the church administrator, adding that regular activities and operations will continue as scheduled.
The statement read, "This is to assuage concerns from the general public regarding the minor fire outbreak from the parking store within the church premises which occurred on Saturday 15th of March 2025. It is important for us to clarify that all facilities within the premises are intact.
"Therefore, regular activities and operations will continue as scheduled.”
"We hereby urge everyone to disregard any false information, and we appreciate concerns expressed by members of the public," the statement added.
WATCH: Top Members of Pastor @DavidIbiyeomie's Salvation Ministries Assault and Detain Journalist for Reporting Fire Outbreak at Headquarters, Accuse Him of Being a Spy pic.twitter.com/IdHrsU3Gvj
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) March 16, 2025