Lagos — Officials of the zone 5 police command Benin Edo State have arrested the head of a Christian gospel church in the state over an alleged involvement in human trafficking .

The suspect Bishop Nosayaba Agbonavbare of the Messiah Gospel Church of Cherubim and Seraphim was arrested by the police weekend for alleged role in human tarfficking and prostitution of young girls in Italy and other European countries.

But the suspect while speaking with journalists in Benin denied his involvement in the crime and attributed his fate to what he called a frame up by some aggrieved members of the church over an internal problem between the leadership and members of the church.

The arrest of the church leader who is also the Provost of the church followed a petition by two ladies(nameswitheld) to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Human Trafficking and other Related Matters, NAPTIP over threat to their lives by the said bishop

Vanguard investigations indicated that the ladies presently living abroad had approached the pastor for spiritual cleasing, special prayers for protection and sponsorship for their travel after reaching an agreement with the pastor on the amount of money to be paid by them.

Trouble was said to have started fter four months the ladies had paid the agreed fee the man of God came up with another demand and had threatened his clients with unpleasant consequences if they refused to remmit more money to his account.

However disturbed by the fear that their lives were threatened, the ladies petitioned NAPTIP who on their part contacted police who subsequently arrested the clergyman.

The police Public Relations Officer,PPRO, zone 5 Benin,Mr.A.B. Orubiri, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, declined comment when contacted yesterday saying that the case had not been reported to them.