Police in Nigeria said they rescued 15 people chained up in a church in Lagos during the latest raid in a nationwide crackdown on religious institutions accused of abuse.
Detectives "stormed a prayer house used as a detention camp" on Wednesday evening and discovered 15 men and women aged between 19 and 50 chained by the legs, Lagos police spokesman Bala Elkana said.
The pastor of the church, "prophet" Sunday Joseph Ojo, and 10 others were arrested, Elkana said late Thursday.
The victims "were brought by their families to seek spiritual help from mental illness and other diseases," he added.
"The prophet said he has been in the healing ministry since 1986, (and) that he chained them in order to prevent escape."