A really strange kind of church has been revealed in Lagos where members act different and believe the pastor is Jesus Christ.
King Olutanmole
Vulcaniser bus-stop is very popular on Akowonjo-Egbeda road in
Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State. Not far from this
bus-stop, on both sides of the road, are some church buildings. Boldly
written on the sprawling signboards at the entrance of the two front
church buildings are “Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.”
Members are decked in all white attires, giving a first time
visitor the impression of a white garment church in the mold of Cherubim
and Seraphim, and Celestial Church of Christ – but that’s where the
similarity ends as this church differs greatly with these two in terms
of doctrine and beliefs.
The Saturday Sun team had set out initially that evening for an
interview with the founder of the church, a man highly revered and
almost worshipped as a deity by members. Popularly called King
Olutanmole of the Universe, the man said to be in his 60s is always
regal in appearance.
Investigations by Saturday Sun revealed that King Olutanmole’s
original name is Christopher Yomi Jacobs and he hails from Ijebu-Ode in
Ogun State.
He started his ministry at Ilupeju area of Lagos in 1972 from a
modest bungalow. Few years later when his ministry started growing, he
moved to Akowonjo his present site where he was reported to have
acquired large expanse of land through a female member of the church who
was related to landowners in Akowonjo.
The old woman now deceased was elevated to the position of
Mother-In-Israel as a result of her activities in the ministry. Her
house is not far from the church.
Although several attempts made to book an appointment for interview
with King Olutanmole were futile, Saturday Sun’s team observations
while on visits to the place to book appointment with Olutanmole was
revealing.
Although it was learnt that members of the church have been barred
from speaking to the media about anything concerning the church, some
observations that were made during the visits were confirmed by some
members who pleaded anonymity.
While on one of the trips, it was noticed that members live
together like in a commune. If you were outside or inside the church you
may not know this, but a close observation one evening revealed that
after their service, members rather than trooping outside to take
commercial buses home or drive outside the premises were seen moving
towards the back of the church.
But here it is a no-go area for non-members. It is here you have
apartments where members live. Even on a particular day after a group of
children had just finished playing football and other games on an open
field located very close to the church, about 100 of them were moving
into the commune. Boldly inscribed at the back of their Tee-shirts is
‘Olutanmole kids.’
Around 7 pm, some members of the church working in other parts of
Lagos were also observed coming in through the main gate as they headed
for the narrow path that led to the commune.
Curious about this, our team sought to find out where those trooping towards the back of the church were going. “They
are going home – they are going to their residences. Their homes are
inside the church but at the back. Although a visitor or non-member will
just think that it is the only church we have here,” a member who pleaded not to be named declared.
Continuing he said: “We have rules for them. You have several
families living here. Many even want to leave their house and join
others that are living here because those that are living here enjoy
Olutanmole’s special grace and favour.”
At another section of the church you have what looks like a mini
supermarket but what is mostly on sale here are spiritual items like
holy water, oil, rosary, books, all bearing the photos and the
inscription, ‘King Olutanmole of the Universe.’
The holy water is put in kegs of various sizes, and with price
range with the lowest being N250. Speaking on the holy water, another
member who also spoke on condition of anonymity said there is no ailment
that the water can’t cure. Thinking we are visitors that had come for
spiritual counseling, he implored us to buy any of the items, insisting
that buying them and using is like having personal encounter with
Olutanmole himself.
“It is not easy to see Baba Olutanmole. Some people have been
on the waiting list for more than six months. Some even for one year,
they have not been able to see Baba. Buy those spiritual items, they
will work wonders for you, they will solve all your problems at least
until you are able to see Baba Olutanmole,” he pleaded.
On another Sunday when the Saturday Sun team was asked to try and
see whether Olutanmole would be able to see them, it was another
shocker. Inside the sprawling well-decorated church that looks like a
cathedral, you see this giant seat facing you. The seat has all the
marks of royalty. You will think that it is a specially designed seat
for a royal father. That is where King Olutanmole sits and conducts
service whenever he is around.
The church building
In a section, you see testaments written inside a glass enclosure
and they are referred to as their seven commandments. This provoked
another curiosity, and further investigations revealed that members of
the church had long time ago jettisoned the 10 biblical commandments
generally believed by many churches.
Confirming the development, another member speaking on anonymity said:
“We no longer have anything to do with the 10 commandments
again. We no longer believe in the Laws of Moses. Some years ago, around
1989 God revealed certain things to Baba while he was on the prayer
mountain. When he came back, he told us that God told him to jettison
the old 10 commandments and in its place have our new set of laws which
are seven. If you even wake a five year old member of our ministry, he
will recite the seven commandments without stress.”
And these are the seven commandments in Olutanmole’s church namely:
Be Obedient, Worship God at all Times, Be Faithful in your Deeds, Be
Obedient to God the Father, Be Obedient to God the Son, Be Obedient to
the Holy Spirit, and Be Obedient to Olutanmole.
One interesting aspect of the Sunday Service at Olutanmole’s church
is that there is no limit to the number of hours members can stay.
On this, another source in the church explains, “We complete or
round off service as Olutanmole wishes. If Baba wishes that it should
be two hours, so be it or if he says it is 24 hours, so also be it.”
While not describing Olutanmole as God, members fervently believe
that he is Jesus Christ personified on earth. In fact, their major
belief which they also professed during the Sunday worship was that they
pity other Christians that still believe in the second coming of Jesus
Christ. To them, Jesus Christ is not coming back again.
“Baba, King Olutanmole is Jesus Christ and he is the one that
will take us to heaven to meet God and Jesus Christ his beloved son.
This is why this ministry is called Kingdom of Heaven on Earth”.
Taken up on this, he fired back: “Have you not read anything
about Baba? Although Baba hardly talks to the media, he rarely does, on
such occasions, which are few he had declared that he is the one that is
being expected, that he is the messiah who will take us to heaven.
Forget about Jesus coming back again.”
It was also gathered that members that work in the church’s schools
(Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary School), hospital, and bookshop
earn salaries but the take home is not what can be considered as living
wages.
A non-member of the church who works in the hospital but who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “We
are working like slaves. It is nothing to write home about. Our own
condition is even a bit better compared to what members experience. We
have a situation whereby father, mother and the children either work in
the hospital, bookshop, bakery or in one of the schools but their
collective take home pay is not up to N20,000. What do you call that?
Although, they dare not raise their voice or complain because they
revere or do I say fear Olutanmole.”
Another issue that is shrouded in mystery is the number of wives
and children Olutanmole has. A source told Saturday Sun that King
Olutanmole is married to almost 100 women, and has numerous children,
but another source countered that he has only one wife who has seven
children for him.
It was gathered that Olutanmole also made it a rule that anybody
getting married to any of his daughters must quit secular work and join
his ministry. Not only that he must leave his house and move to the
commune inside the church.
It was further learnt that one of the two men married to one of his
daughters had to resign from his lucrative job as a banker to take up
residence in the commune.
Always a beehive of activities, the church’s headquarters at
Akowonjo is always besieged by visitors from different parts of the
country and even from outside.
One of the strict rules in the church is the one that forbids members from eating anything containing palm oil every Friday.
Members are also required to pay obeisance to King Olutanmole like
other earthly royals. While greeting him, you must not stand but
prostrate or roll on the ground before him, while he also reportedly
have the right to change name of members to whatever pleases or suits
him.
Members are also required to pay spiritual visits to the ministry’s
prayer mountain located at a spot between Ogun and Ondo States at least
twice in a year.
“You can’t claim to be our member without going to Baba’s
prayer mountain at least twice in a year. And you don’t go there to eat,
but to meditate and fast in order to enjoy numerous spiritual
benefits,” another member declared.
To his neighbours at Akowonjo, King Olutanmole of the Universe
remains an enigma but to numerous followers, he remains a hero, a savior
and the long-awaited messiah.
Some of them that also spoke with Saturday Sun expressed fear about being seen or quoted on Olutanmole.
“We see a lot of people going inside that place including big
men who drive in big cars, but honestly what goes on in there, I don’t
know. There is something mysterious about the man called Olutanmole. His
members hardly venture outside the commune inside the church, and not
only that they hardly interact with neighbours”, one of the neighbours stated.
Continuing the man said: “Although, neither Baba Olutanmole nor
his followers have been violent since the church started several years
ago at Akowonjo, but when you mention that place, some people are
uncomfortable. I don’t know why.”
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- Culled from Saturday Sun
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