Category: Worship

The National Coordinator of Project Youth Liberation, Pastor Uche Oyemike, was a cultist for several years while in the university. He shared with Sunday Oguntola how God saved him and why terrorists should repent to avert divine wrath

How did your journey to the world of cultism start?

It all started in Delta State University (DELSU) where I was admitted for a Pre-degree course in Geology. When I arrived there, one of my cousins was graduating from the school and she offered me her accommodation, which I paid for. Unknown to me, my compound was the den of cultists. There, you had all the leaders of cult organisations on campus. The leaders of Black Axe, Buccaneers and others were there. It was called Allen Avenue. I didn’t know anything.

One day, something happened in the compound. Some buccaneers from Ekpoma came and one of them had a girlfriend in the compound. Unfortunately, the lady was dating a Black Axe member in DELSU. He came and there was a fight. I ran from my compound towards Abraka Grammar School and saw a young man who had a girlfriend in the compound. I told him there was chaos. I didn’t know he was a Black Axe member. He mobilised more and the fight escalated.

The leaders of Buccaneer and Black Axe were from the same place-Agbor. They spoke in their dialect that they should settle and they got to know I was the one who ‘reported’ the guys who came from Ekpoma. Immediately, he made a decree that I should be killed. I got to know and ran home for about three weeks. My parents were disturbing me to return to school, not knowing death was waiting for me there.

Couldn’t you at least tell the authorities to bail you out?

The school authorities could not help. The fellowships could not help and parents could not. They said if I must stay on campus I must ‘belong’. Everybody I spoke to advised me to join them if I must stay on campus. They were, in fact, marketing their different cult groups to me. So, I made up my mind to belong to the strongest group, which was the Black Axe. I did that to at least remain on campus. But the killings were too much. The heat was much and after a year, I moved to the University of Benin to study Geology.

Then, you left the group right?

Not at all. I changed school and thought I had escaped. For one year, nobody knew my antecedents. In UNIBEN, the leader of the Eiye Confraternity was so powerful and influential. He had political ties that he was using to emasculate the Black Axe. So the group decided to infiltrate a political organisation called Rainbow Charity Christian Organisation (RACO) so that it can counter the influence of the Eiye group. About seven of us that were unknown were drafted to infiltrate the group.

But that same month, I gave my life to Christ. Immediately, God told me I was saved so that I can fight cultism. I told God nobody can fight against cultism. Many Christians who left were killed or maimed. But God assured me and said if I didn’t do it, he was going to kill me himself. We had a seven-month strike during the Abacha’s era and when we came back, I declared to everyone I was saved. I was there for one month and they didn’t look for me. Everyone, including me, was shocked. Then, I summoned courage and went to meet the chief priest, who was a childhood friend.

He said the reason why they had not struck me was because he was covering up for me. He thought I was feigning salvation so that I could graduate because I was in 300level. I said no I was serious. Then, he drew the battle line and said I should live with whatever came my way. He summoned a squad to hit me but when they came, they could not locate the same house they had visited several times before. They only shattered my room and left.

I was not perturbed because I was already with the Nigerian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (NIFES). Until that time, nobody, at least in UNIBEN, had left a cult group and stood for Christ. When people saw that nothing was coming close to me, many who had confessed Christ but could not declare it began to come out. My boldness encouraged them to come out from Eiye, Buccaneer, Black Axe and other cult groups. We started a group called the Called-out ones. It was such a big move because in my days, cultism was tough and untouchable. They would kill in lecture rooms in broad daylight. It was so attractive that those who didn’t belong felt foolish.

What was the group doing?

God used us to do so much. Mama Idahosa was there for us. She supported and stood by us. We started going round campuses through her sponsorship. There was also the late Bishop Onosode of Spirit of Life Bible Church. We were on TV, telling youths to come out of cultism. That was how cultism lost its grip in this nation. We exposed their secrets because the strength of secret cults is in their secrets. It got so good that you could slap a cultist back if he dared slap you. We were so effective.

I am sure you heard from them, didn’t you?

Sure, you are right. They formed a new squad team headed by the chief priest. I was staying at the doctors’ quarters in UNIBEN. When they got to my residence, they said it was too early and decided to carry out an operation. They planned to come back later. They went to a family and robbed them. There was a 7-month old pregnant woman. As they were going, the head of Black Axe turned and shot the woman in her stomach. They then met to share the loots. But surprisingly, a disagreement broke out over the sharing formula. The head got angry and shot the chief priest. Others ran away and came back to take him to UBTH. When they got to the reception, the pregnant woman who was shot was also being bought in. With her last breath, she identified them as her killers. They ran away.

The chief priest was in police custody for three days in the hospital. He then sent for me to come for prayers. I got a word from God to go. I got there and saw the criminal ward that was always locked with chains opened. Even nurses that had no business there could not get in. I entered and got to him. The detectives attached to him followed me without talking. The guy then narrated everything that happened to me. I led him to Christ and he said even if he was going to die, I should pray for him. I said he would not die.

His mother was wealthy and he was treated. He was sentenced and he came out. The head of the Black Axe was also looking for me. I couldn’t see him until we ran into each other on campus. He just came and knelt down. He was the most dreaded cultist on campus. He said he wanted to give his life to Christ. I said I didn’t preach to him but he said he was tired. He joined us and the guy who was to be his successor also joined us. They could not do anything because God was on my side. We were moving from school to school, preaching the gospel with our meager resources.

So, you graduated without hassles?

You can be sure. I left and joined Living Waters International Church in Port-Harcourt founded by Rev. Francis Bekee. I was there for 12 years, pastoring. I left for Enugu and pastored the church there too for another five years. I then came to Lagos and God told me to resign and start praying against the imminent violence in the land. I did and in the last four years I have been preparing for this assignment. The Lord said the assignment will kick off in Abuja.

Which is what?

The mandate is to put an end to youth violence in the country. From cultism, we have graduated to militancy, insurgency and now terrorism. We have really got worse. That is why I believe the proposed capital punishment against terrorists will not work. It should not be the first option but the last. If there was capital punishment, people like us would not have been alive today. Many people have come out of cultism. The government should exhaust every avenue to reach out to fight terrorism and cultism. Abacha voted many funds to fight cultism on campuses. In 1997, when we organised a programme, the school authorities gave us N100, 000 to support us. Cultism came down in the last 15 years because people rose up and said no.

So, what will you be doing?

We would start a non-denominational youth fellowship in Abuja where we will raise prayer altars. From there, we will spread to other geo-political zones in the nation. We will be taking our awareness campaign to them. 80% of people involved in social vices such as terrorism and cultism want to come out. But they cannot because there are no alternatives. I believe if they come to us, God will save them. Anyone that genuinely repents will be saved. I want them to overcome the fear of death. No one can kill you if your time is not up. Come out of them and God will accept you.

God is asking me to tell those involved in terrorism, cultism and militancy including their sponsors in government circles to give up. If they do not repent, God’s hammer will descend on them in 2013. God will start exposing them because He has had enough. This is their season of repentance.

The General Overseer of Restoration Bible Church, Kaduna and President of the Mercy Home Orphanage, Maternity and Vocation Centre, Rev. Tunde Bolanta, spoke to Tony Akowe on the challenges of ministry in the last 25 years

How did it all start?

The ministry started in November, 25 years ago, even though I have been in ministry longer than that and I have every course to give thanks to God. The important thing is that we followed the blueprint that was prepared for us. We can only be thankful and not boastful because it is by God’s mercy that we are not consumed.

Many expected you to join the Nigerian Baptist Convention since that is your background. Why did you decide to start the church?

I was raised in the Baptist Church, a very good church movement and I owe a lot to them. I had a very good foundation in the word of God. My father was a deacon in the Baptist Church. I went to Baptist primary and secondary school and so, I am Baptist in my formation.

I had an encounter with God when I started reading the Bible and I realised that on the day of Pentecost, something happened to the disciples. Then I started having the desire that if the Apostles had to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit, I also needed the Holy Spirit in my life. I just started praying at home when one day, I experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

I actually thought that I was the only one who had that encounter and I didn’t know where to go because it was very foreign to my theology at that time. So, I went to meet one foreign missionary woman, a Danish, who was our neigbour and told her what had happened to me and she told me that she heard that people still received the gift of the Holy Spirit but she didn’t know much about it.

I also remember that there was another Baptist boy who I felt should know something about it, and I spoke with him about it. Somehow, I got involved with another Christian fellowship that embraced such teaching and that was where I started moving in another direction because at that time, it was not something that was well embraced in the area where I was raised.

With that and other encounters when the Lord released me into ministry, I knew that this was an emphasis. I did not want to establish a church or ministry. I went into full time ministry in September 1986 and I started my own ministry in January 1987, and later that year, in November, I started the church. In between that period, I was doing crusades and evangelism in East Africa. I travelled a lot in that area and later the Lord said I should set up a church and raise leaders. I actually did not want to establish a church. With this type of experience, an appointment was set up for me and I met the late Pa LG Elton who was one of the fathers of the pentecostal movement in Nigeria, and he prophesied on me and most of the things that we are doing right now were prophesied by him in 1986.

I said to him, ‘Papa, please send me to one of your children in ministry who is older and more matured in ministry. I am just a young man just coming up and I am not sure if I am ready for this task.’ But he shocked me. He said to me, ‘the Lord wants you to go on your own.’ It was like a bombshell because I did not think I was qualified. When I left him, the Lord opened the doors in East Africa and I began to minister there. When I was planning to go and consult him again to know whether I was on track, he had died and the Lord confirmed to me that I should not build on another man’s foundation. With all humility, I must say that we started very little and gradually, the Lord began to encourage us.

Twenty-five years down the line, what have been your major challenges?

We have always been growing and the buildings have always been too small. We are here today and run four services and our branches are growing. For me, my quest has not been numbers, but to build men and women for God. The Bible says that on the last day, our work will be tested by fire. It does not make sense for you to Pastor 5,000 people and at the end of the day, God says only 20 of them are of quality.

One of the challenges that we are also facing is the challenge of the nation. If you look very well, you will discover that there is high level of corruption in the nation and majority of this is in the church. People have itching ears and don’t want to hear sound gospel. A lot of our gospel work in Nigeria today is built on shaky foundation.

It is all about quick result and we are no longer taking time to build men, and when you want to build quality men, people challenge you. Just like we say, something of quality in the market can be expensive and people will prefer to go for cheaper things because they don’t want to pay the price for more expensive ones. Unfortunately, the Christianity of today is built around the man of God, but we are attempting to build it around God so that every child of God knows how to find God for themselves.

Today, Christianity has been reduced to modernised herbalists, which is not built on the word of God. We have all kinds of services today in our churches while the word of God is relegated to the background. It is now all about the handkerchief, the oil, etc and when you build on this, the foundation is not solid. The place we are in this nation today, we need every Christian to know God.

How did you come about setting up an orphanage, especially when churches are not known to venture into such areas?

In the early part of our ministry, my wife and I worked a lot in Denmark and helped to break a lot of grounds. We had it in our heart that we were supposed to touch lives. We had the opportunity of seeing some social works in a place they called Betesta which is a rehabilitation centre. We went in there to see what they were doing. We knew we were supposed to do something to touch lives in our society and so we started praying because you can’t be in an environment like Nigeria and do nothing.

When I shared the vision with some people, they felt it would be a drain pipe. It is quite expensive and we have spent a lot. When we started initially, we had to put quite a lot of money from our pocket and we still do that and then God began to raise people from the church here and some of our friends outside. As a church, a percentage of our income every week goes to the orphanage and that is why when you look at the children, they don’t look like orphans. There is also a primary and secondary school for them. Some Muslims have come to give us money for the orphanage and that is when you know that something is from God.

When we first started, we had so many problems, and I did not tell anybody about it but only prayed about it. One Muslim woman came with the exact amount of money that we needed. Our signboard had even been removed and it took her sometime to locate the place. That raised the faith of the staff working there. We also have a clinic there where we have delivered over 3,000 babies. It is challenging, but it also gives us joy. Before we built the orphanage’s primary and secondary schools, we were sending them to schools outside. I just woke up one day and said we were spending too much money sending them to school outside and the Lord told me to start something. I told one of the boys working with me then to start the foundation and the boy told me, ‘oga, there are no blocks,’ and I told him that the ‘Lord said dig.’ They started digging and laughing and one woman came there for something else and saw us digging. She gave us some blocks with which we started the building. That is faith and I have always said that when you work in faith, you don’t need to manipulate the people because God responds to faith.

It has not been easy, especially when you know that there are people around and one phone call can solve your problem. That is why sometimes, established ministries can have problem because you will keep going to men without allowing God to talk to these men. You become the Holy Spirit challenging them day and night, and sometimes when it is too much, they run away. So, we have seen the hand of God there.

What are your plans for the next 25 years if Jesus tarries?

If Jesus tarries, the blue print is in His hand. We hope to continue to touch lives. There are things that God has revealed to us which we have written down. We have the Hope Village, which we are developing right now for different things; we also have a new sanctuary which we are building.

I hope to continue to go to the nations because one of the callings on my life is to go to the nations to encourage ministers. We have the Ministers Apostolic Network International where we encourage ministers. We are not trying to build an empire because it is all about the Kingdom of God. When you get to Heaven, you will not see a Restoration Church or Baptist or Anglican or any other church. It is just going to be a Kingdom.