13-Year-Old Girl Dies After Alleged Horsewhip Beating by Pastor Over Missing ₦30,000 in Cross River

“A home in Obanleku Community, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, has been plunged into mourning after 13-year-old Nancy Peter reportedly lost her life following an alleged disciplinary punishment linked to a missing ₦30,000. The teenager, who was at the beginning of her dreams and future, is now at the centre of a heartbreaking tragedy that has sparked outrage, grief, and questions over how a child accused of wrongdoing ended up losing her life.”

“A painful silence has replaced the laughter that once filled a home in Obanleku Community, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, after 13-year-old Nancy Peter allegedly died following a disciplinary punishment linked to a missing ₦30,000. The teenager’s death has sparked public outrage, raising questions about child protection, excessive punishment, and the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.”

“Nancy Peter, a 13-year-old girl from Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, allegedly died after being flogged by a pastor following accusations that she stole ₦30,000 from her mother. The mother and pastor have been arrested as police investigate the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death.”

In an apartment tucked away in Obanleku Community, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, a heartbreaking silence has fallen over a family once filled with the joy and laughter of a young girl.

There are no longer morning rushes in a school uniform. No teenage voice calling out. No footsteps of a child preparing for another day.
Nancy Peter is gone.

At just 13 years old, the teenager’s dreams of completing secondary school, writing her examinations, building a career, and experiencing the future she imagined have been cut short.

Her life reportedly ended following an incident that began with a missing ₦30,000.

Today, her family is left with grief, unanswered questions, and a community demanding justice over the circumstances surrounding her death.

Alleged Beating That Ended in Death
For Nancy, what was meant to be a punishment allegedly became her final moment.

The grieving mother, Agnes Peter, and pastor Roman Samson, 45, founder and General Overseer of Goodness of Jesus Ministry, are currently in police custody over the incident.

According to reports, Nancy was taken to the pastor after her mother accused her of stealing money kept at home.

However, both the mother and the pastor have denied intending for the teenager to lose her life.

While Pastor Samson said he acted after the mother requested that Nancy be disciplined, Agnes maintained that she only wanted counselling and prayers for her daughter.

The Missing ₦30,000 That Triggered the Tragedy

Police sources said the incident reportedly began on June 1, 2026, after Agnes discovered that the ₦30,000 she kept at home was missing.

She allegedly accused her daughter of taking the money and brought her to the pastor for intervention.

A police source from the Homicide Section of the Cross River State Police Command said:

“The woman took her 13-year-old daughter to her pastor’s house for stealing. She complained that she had kept ₦30,000 at home and could not find the money. She accused her daughter of stealing it. The woman left the girl with the pastor, and by the time she returned, the pastor had flogged the girl to death with a horsewhip.”

The source added that the pastor rushed Nancy to a hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

“I Didn’t Tell Him to Kill Her” — Mother
Speaking to detectives, Agnes Peter said she never intended for her daughter to be harmed.
She explained:

“It is true that I took my daughter to the pastor after I discovered that my ₦30,000 was missing. I only wanted him to scold and counsel her. I didn’t tell him to kill my daughter.”

According to her, Nancy later admitted taking the money and revealed where she kept it.

She said she left briefly to recover the money and returned to find the pastor rushing her daughter to the hospital.

Pastor Admits Flogging, Expresses Regret
Pastor Roman Samson said he had known Nancy’s family for years and had supported them during difficult periods.

He claimed Nancy had previously been accused of taking her mother’s money and that he had counselled her several times.

According to him, on the day of the incident, Agnes brought Nancy to him and requested that he discipline her.

The pastor admitted using a horsewhip but said he never intended for the teenager to die.

“I only gave her about 13 to 15 strokes when I noticed she became very weak. I quickly rushed her to the hospital, but she died before we got there,” he said.

Expressing regret, Samson added:
“I didn’t want to kill her. She was like a daughter to me.”

Police Begin Investigation
The tragic incident has caused widespread anger within the community and beyond.

The spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, ASP Eitokpah Sunday, confirmed the arrest of the suspects and said investigations were ongoing.

The police assured residents that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and that justice would be pursued.