Church dey 'cast out' evil spirits from boy body inside secret filming

BBC Panorama secretly feem di UK branch of one Christian church as dem dey try cast out evil spirits from one 16-year-old.

Di video show as di pastor of di Universal Church of di Kingdom of God (UCKG) bin dey recite wetin look like so-called "strong prayers" to comot demon from di boy body.

One former member wey be gay also tell BBC Panorama say dem give am "strong prayers" wen e be 13-year-old to try to make am straight.

UCKG tok say dem no dey allow children wey neva reach 18 into "strong prayers" services and dem no dey perform "conversion therapy" on dem.

BBC Panorama investigation discover say:

Di church dey tell di congregation say dem fit help wit mental health conditions by casting out evil spirits.

Di leader of di church for UK describe epilepsy as a "spiritual problem".

UCKG get branches around di world, dem get 35 branches for UK, wia dem dey registered as charity.

Di church tok say dem get more dan 10,000 members across di kontri and dem describe demsef as a Christian Pentecostal church.

Prayers to cast out evil spirits no dey unusual for di Christian world. Some churches dey call dem deliverance or exorcisms - although exorcism no be word wey UCKG dey use.

Dr Joe Aldred, one Pentecostal bishop wey dey work to bring togeda different Christian traditions, tok say: "Di Church of England get exorcists for every diocese. Di question na how dem take dey do am."

"Strong prayers" for di UCKG dey usually involve one pastor wey dey lay hands on a member of di congregation and dey command make di evil spirit comot dia body.

Di church tok say dem dey conduct di prayers for wetin dem call "spiritual cleansing" services each week to "remove di root cause of problems".

UCKG bin come under scrutiny afta di murder of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie, wey her great-aunt and di woman boyfriend murder.

For di week before her death for 2000, di couple bin carry Victoria – wey bin dey show signs of abuse - to one branch of di church.

One pastor tok say she fit dey possessed and initially suggest say dem carry her go service wia dem dey perform "strong prayers".

Later, before di service start, di pastor tell di great-aunt to take Victoria go hospital.

One Charity Commission report bin highlight "say dem no fully report di seriousness of Victoria condition give relevant authorities" in di days before her death. Di commission tok say dem bin dey "concerned" say di church no get formal child protection policy.

Following dis criticism, di church introduce safeguarding policy. Now, dem promise say dem no go perform strong prayers on anyone under 18 - or for dia presence.

BBC Panorama visit one UCKG youth group service for Brixton, south London, wia young adults and teenagers dey attend.

Di undercover filming show as di pastor divide di group according to age.

One boy, wey tell di undercover reporter say im be 16 at di time, di reporter see as e dey receive wetin look like "strong prayers" from di pastor. "My God, let your fire burn di evil spirit wey dey hide for dis boy body," di pastor tok.

Di pastor hold di boy for head, come dey pray say make di evil spirit wey enta di boy to leave.

BBC Panorama follow 40 former UCKG members tok - some of dem comot years ago, odas recently.

Sharon join di London Stratford branch when she be 19.

She tok say she tell di pastor about her clinical depression and say e no ever advise her to seek professional help.

Dem subject her to "strong prayers", she tok - contrary to di UCKG safeguarding policy, wey tok say make dem no perform am on pipo wit mental health problems.

"E get to di point wia I dey fear to go to those services because I be one of di targets all di time," Sharon tok.

Di church say di intention of "strong prayers" no be to fear or harm pipo and no one suppose feel say dem be target.

E also say if dem dey aware say "mental health concerns dey involved", dia "safeguarding team dey help wit referrals".

BBC also follow one former UCKG member, "Mark", tok wey tok say im wan remain anonymous because im dey concerned about how di church fit react. E say dem perform "strong prayers" on am from di age of 13 to try to make am dey straight.

"Wen dem find out say I be gay, dem begin tell me say na demon dey cause am, dem say I need attend di Friday services wia dem go perform exorcisms," e tok.

Mark say dem dey perform di prayers every week for more dan four years and say im try convince imself say im dey attracted to women. "I go cry myself to sleep," e tok.

"And dat na really hard time because di amount of self-hate dey big."

UCKG tell BBC say dem no dey perform "conversion therapy" plus say dem no dey give matters of sexuality or gender alignment strong prayers". Dem add say dem dey "welcome pipo from all sexual preferences".

For one healing service wey BBC secretly record wey show as dem dey conduct "strong prayers", Bishop James Marques – di leader of di UCKG for UK – tell di congregation say some sickness na spiritual problem and mental health problems dey linked to evil spirits.

E also tell one undercover reporter say: "Depression na spiritual problem. Na evil spirit dey behind depression.”

E also tok say, "We know say epilepsy na medical condition but for inside Bible, di Lord Jesus cast out evil spirit wey dey cause epilepsy. So we fit understand say epilepsy in reality na spiritual problem wey get physical, visible manifestation."

For statement, UCKG say dem no ever promote "strong prayers" as replacement for medical or... professional help".

Many former members wey di BBC follow tok say e dey really difficult for dem to comot di church.

Rachael, wey comot di church and now dey lead campaign against UCKG, dey warn of di dangers she tok say e be to oda young pipo.

"Dem say, You remember dat assistant wey dey siddon for here? Well, dem comot di church and now dem dey divorce. Now dem get cancer.'"

Sharon say dem show her one graphic video of one former member wey dey for one motorcycle accident and "all dia organs dey outside".

She add say: "Dem tok say dis na wetin dey happun wen you leave di church, di devil go come take your soul."

For one event wey BBC feem, Alvaro Lima - one of UCKG bishops - tell followers say wen e leave di church, "my mother become very sick, cancer of di lungs".

However, e tok say, she later come back di church "and now di cancer don begin shrink and she dey get better and better".

UCKG tell BBC say dem "no dey employ scare tactics", e dey "based on (voluntary) devotions" and "dem no get any interest in coercion".

Di church say dia many current members appreciate am plus di good work dem dey do.

But many of di former members tell BBC say dem no dey ever go back.