Senior Pastor House of Fresh Fire Ministry International, Apostle Samuel Aka, is an accomplished detective, lawyer, Banker and member of several organisations, including American Society of Criminologists and an author of over 51 books. He pioneered the first private detective firm in Nigeria before he started his ministry. In 1986 he became the first African to be a member of the World Association of Detectives. He talks with Omolara Akintoye on his life as a detective and author on his occasion of his 60th birthday. Excerpts:
How was life as a detective?
Detective work is not as glamorous, unlike when you are reading the book or watching the film. In real life, it’s not as glamorous as it looks. Once you are into it there is no going back, it’s a life and death issue.
We don’t detectives in Nigeria what we have are interrogators. Here we do more of interrogation. There is a difference between a detective and interrogators. We have forensic detective and other types.
But in Nigeria, we harass people to get information. We just arrest people but a true detective doesn’t arrest people to get information. You get information before the arrest. Even when it is glaring that the person is a suspect, you still go ahead and do your detective work.
Many years back I came back to Nigeria to set up the first private Detective Firm, S.F Investigations & Security Services but it was a pity that the Nigerian system does not accommodate such. Although it still exists but it is not as functional as it ought to be, then I discovered that setting up such an organisation in Nigeria is a waste of time.
Are you still practicing as a detective?
No I don’t because it conflicts with my pastoral work, which was one of the decisions I made when I gave my life to Christ.
How did you get into the ministry?
It was a very wonderful one. While I was doing my secret service works, I dabbled into a few things, which can be referred to as the hazards of the profession. I mean near- death issues. I’ve been shot a couple of times in London, New York, etc.
Those ones I managed but the worst of it was the health hazards that I brought upon myself when I spent about three months in Lagos Specialist hospital. I came back from the hospital worst. Then I was a bachelor living with my younger sister.
I was flown to New York, then to Sao Paulo.Over there, the doctor told me that there is no medical solution to my case. That I had just a few weeks to live and the best thing for me to do is to go back home and put my house in order.
Then I came back to Lagos. That particular day, I had made up my mind to commit suicide. As a detective, you must not be caught attempting to kill yourself. So, I had planned out how best to kill myself without people knowing. The moment I wanted to administer it, I heard my mum singing, encouraging me to give my life to Jesus.
So I stopped and I started weeping and crying to God to remove the cup from me. Suddenly I was lifted. I was no longer thinking of killing myself again. That was in 1988. Ever since I never looked back; then I was always at the New Estate Baptist Church at CMS Lagos, to attend their morning devotion, to pray, study the bible.
From there I went to Olorunda Baptist Church, Aguda. I was always there to pray. So in one month, it was as if I was born again for 20 years. That was how God spoke to me, to Him be the glory.
I’m 60 years now. I didn’t die at that time there is no trace of death in my system. I’m not a vegetable. Rather, I’m still going strong. To prove the medical people wrong I still went back to school and I’ve authored over 51 books.
What is your idea of mentorship as a Pastor, banker and a detective?
One thing about life, be it sacred or secular, is that mentorship is a continuous process. In following, there will be a process. Jesus also commanded Peter to follow him so that he can make him fisher of men. Mentorship, otherwise known as followership, is a continuous process. If you don’t have a root, you’ll have problems.
You need someone who has done over a thousand things that you want to do to guide you. He/she has made mistakes so that you don’t need to make such mistakes again. You’ll align yourself with him and he will give you directions (1Cor 11:1). Even if the person is too busy, you can follow him through his writings or his thoughts, messages or through personal contacts.
Although a lot of people are still arguing that they don’t need any mentor, that they are just following God, we are all a product of help. We are all working out our salvation with fear and trembling but mentorship is absolutely important both in secular and sacred world.
For instance I came into the banking industry as a young guy but I rose through the rank through mentorship. Then I was working in Central Bank in 1966 at the Exchange Control Department. I always get to work 6.05 am. So one day, my Director called me and gave me letter of promotion.
I did my CIB then it was AIB, he was there mentoring me encouraging me to further my studies. Then I was a small boy. He later told why he gave me the position I was occupying then (it was a position in the Exchange Control Unit) was because whenever he came into the office, he always asked for the attendance book.
He discovered that I was always punctual. He saw that consistency and decided that someone that is consistent will be someone with integrity. I discovered within a short period, I was very rich even as a young man, but without knowledge, while my boss was mentoring my career, he forgot to mentor me on how best to invest the money. Mentorship is very important.
What is your experience like on the mission field?
Every day is like a plus. I’ve mentored so many young pastors with several challenges on the field such as conflicting doctrines. Because I came from death to life, everything to me was new, funding is another major challenge.
Things have changed generally in the body of Christ and a lot of things have changed with young people coming into the system. So far God is helping us concerning the ministry.it is growing in leaps and bounds.
Where is Nigeria missing it?
We have never had leaders. We have had rulers. The problem we have is our value system. If we had a good value system from the beginning we would have gone far. It is the same system that has been producing them. We have never had a true patriot leading us and the people are selfish because it’s the same value system that is producing them.
The good news is that this geographical area called Nigeria is going to be better than America. It’s hard to believe but it will come to pass.
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