Faces of Nigeria’s Most Troublesome Pastors

The roles of Pastors was explained in the bible as those that will be around to guide the church and this seems not to be enough for most Nigerian pastors who will rather their church sees them as God and this has been responsible for the so many things happening in their church as there has been so many issues that ordinarily does not belong to the church that has been springing up there. Here is a list of some Nigerian pastors whose attitude had generated bad publicity to Christianity.

Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA)

There is a saying in the Bible that some people will come to you like lamb but deep down they are wolf, this much can be likened to this innocent looking Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, who is the Senior Pastor of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, (COZA) a church that until recently was regarded as one of the very best of Christian gathering in Abuja, the country’s Federal Capital Territory.

Pastor Biodun, as he’s fondly called stir trouble and disappointed many who look-up to him for inspiration recently when the story of his sexcapade was revealed by one Ese Walters, who accused him of abusing her sexually while he was in London sometimes back, according to the lady who said she’s a member of the Pastors Care Unit (CPU) in the church, the pastor cunningly lure her to his bed during one his trip to London where she was then having her master’s degree, the sexual exploit she narrated lasted for one week before his trip back to his wife and the congregation in Nigeria.

Her decision to expose the revered supposed man of God seems to have opened a flood-gate of those who had been having sex with the married pastor amongst his female congregation as about two other ladies have said to have come forward to claim they are also enjoying the forbidding fruit with the pastor who was described by the church website as “An exceptional gift to the entire body of Christ, he is a preacher with uncommon prophetic insight into the word. His ministry has touched lives across various divides. Delivering the word with exactitude and undeniable impact, his messages fuse a unique blend of the factual, personal revelations, convictions with time-tested facts unearthed by years of study and fellowshipping with the Lord.

His decision not come out to deny or own-up to the deed is a major concern to many in the Christian fold who were not too comfortable with the silence and the accusation that some other pastors of the church are also doing the same to female members of their congregation even made it more serious and this is an incident that shook Christendom to its roots.

Prophet Elijah Iretiola Ajanaku of Christ Revival Victory Chapel International (CRVCI)

This is almost the most controversial Pastor of the year, during reign of Prophet Iretiola Elijah Ajanaku, which is not more than five years he rule like no other, he speaks with authority that only God has right to speak with and this has further enshrine his fear into the heart of many of his congregation.

His road to stardom and villainy started with his handling of quarrel between him and his adopted daughter who is a Nigerian gospel music star, Tope Alabi. It was through the songs of the well-respected singer that his name started becoming a household name but not too long after this that news of separation hit town about the once very rosy relationship between the two, with accusing fingers pointing towards both direction until the prophet dropped the straw that broke his camel back when he granted an interview where he said the actress begged him to sleep with her.

This claim pitched him against the people as such utterance is not expected from a man of God and the rest beginning of a scandal that is currently still making news across the country after the sudden and bizarre way the man who they said claims he’s sees all over the world died. His death was the main reason most of his dirty secrets started becoming known, he was initially said to have belong to oro cult, though it could really not be confirmed but stories of how he had been sleeping with both married and single female members of his congregation. He caused many trouble in his death than his life as most of his followers are still of the believe that he will rise again despite the fact that he has been more than two months in the mortuary.

Bishop Lanre Obembe of El-Shadai Bible Church

The weakness of this man of God is his love for money, and the Bible said the love of money is the root of all evil, what this invariably means is that Bishop Lanre Obembe of the El-Shadai Bible Church is in love with evil.

He had at a time had confrontation with the leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) when he had embezzled the fund meant for the organization of Benny Hinn crusade here in Nigeria, the issue later became a public issue with some people forming the opinion that the bishop is just been vilified because he was able to stage an event of such magnitude independent of the national body after the El-Shadai Bible Church founder had made a statement to the press on the reason he’s been queried.

However, his insatiable love for money had dragged him into a deeper crisis recently when he decided to play a fast one on his business partners after he had cornered a certain amount of money that runs to a couple of million dollars from the oil business they strike together, the case which is currently before a judge of the High Court in Lagos State will see the bishop unlawfully drag his business partners to court on the basis that the forge the letter head of his El-Shadai Oil, but it was during the hearing of the case that it was revealed that it was the bling wearing bishop that has actually swindled them, thereby unnecessarily posing himself a problem for Christendom.

Pastor Lazarus Muoka of Lord’s Chosen Charismatics Revival Ministry

He could easily be decorated the most troublesome of Nigerian pastors. His name has prominently been mentioned in all sort of ungodly things, from smuggling, occult, fraud, lying, cruelty and many more. Though an opportunity to listen to the preaching of Pastor Lazarus Mouka of Lord Chosen Charismatic Renewal Ministry popularly called Chosen by Nigerians will convince anybody against the many allegation of his cruelty by many of his numerous lieutenants that has come out with all sort of damming reports about him.

Recently when the men of the Lagos State Environmental Task Force stormed his church with both police and military personnel just to effect the lock-up of the church because they were found to have violated more than one environmental laws of the State. It was revealed that military men were included in the raid because the government fear that his congregation will react violently as they were said to have responded in such way on previous visit of the environmental team to the church.

He was at eye of the storm sometimes ago when some members of his church who claimed his fetish ways and his attitude towards money was responsible for their separation, most vocal was his once associate in the vineyard Pastor Nnamdi Ofoegbu, who claimed Mouka saw short-changing him on the proceed from the church and it was for this reason that the two go their separate ways, the Chosen pastor has over the years proven that he has a magnet that only attracts trouble.

Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Tabernacle a.k.a. Winners Chapel

It is sometimes surprising that the name of the revered Bishop David Eniola Oyedepo, could come out for anything but positive, so it is surprising that the billionaire owner of Living Faith Tabernacle popularly known as Winners’ Chapel will be mentioned in this write up, but a look at it revealed that the man of God has been in a running battle with the authority in the United Kingdom, over issues related to money laundering.

The London branch of the church which was headed by his son David Oyedepo Jr. was accused of laundering and mismanagement of an amount that runs into several millions of British pound sterling and this has been generating issue between the church and British government for sometimes now. He was also accused by the contractor the church used in constructing the church owned secondary school the Faith Academy in Lagos several millions of naira with no sign or attempt of payment visible.

He at a time also draw the condemnation of the people all over the world when the story of how he repeatedly slap a young lady in his church during a deliverance service, though no action was taken by the government but the video of the slap go viral online generating serious antagonism to the Christian faith especially to all the Pentecostal settings of the faith.

Another thing that has generated backlash for the bishop from the public was the way his supposed pastor younger brother Gideon has been going about his kind of Christianity unchecked by the bishop, it was him that was reported to have had a child out of wedlock with Funmi Orija, he was also said to have delve into activities like acquiring properties from money he made on the church when his bishop brother asked him to supervise the construction of the church second University in their Omu-Aran home town. The lifestyle of Pastor Kunle/Gideon Oyedepo is opposite what his Bishop brother preaches and allowing him continue that lifestyle made people to question if the fire-breathing preacher is not in support of his deeds.

Dr. Sign Fireman of Perfect Christianity Mission

His decision not to add any of the stated work positions in the Bible like Pastor, Prophet and the rest on its own speaks in volumes, Dr. Sign Fireman, has proven that he’s mission is to generate trouble for those churches that believes in the conservative ways as prescribed in the Bible on how to run a spirit filled church.

Located in the already crowded Surulere axis of Lagos State, Sign Fireman is of the believe in the use of advert to market your wares which in his case is the church and this was responsible for his decision to use all sort of strategy to attract customer (worshippers) to his church one of which was the banner he made sometimes ago that his congregation is full of beautiful girls and that whoever is not attending his church cannot be addressed as beautiful.

His activities has over the time attract the attention of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) who was at a time reported to be investigating him on his level of spirituality which to the people around his residence is seriously lacking as he sees God as a game that must be played to make money. Sign Fireman has generated a lot of controversy since his church was formed a couple of years back as he was at different occasion mentioned in the many controversy that rock some of the Nollywood actresses.

Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Center

He’s almost the most influential Nigerian in the United Kingdom, his church Kingsway International Christian Center (KICC) was rated as the largest gathering of blacks in the queens land, Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo as however generated his own share of controversies which has seen him against the British government on several occasions.

He was at a time accused of financial impropriety by the British government after which he was also accused of tax related offence, he was said to be dipping his hands into money set aside for trust fund in the church, it was in the cause of this that he decided to move his church to Nigeria a situation he launched with his attack on another Nigerian pastor in Prophet T.B. Joshua, who he accused of occultism an issue that nearly degenerated to confrontation during that period.

All he did for good and for bad generated response from the people and it will be right to say he’s successfully one of the pastors whose way generated a lot of controversy in the country and outside.

Redeemed Church Rebellious Pastors

The case of these set of pastors can better be described using the biblical illustration of many Judas Iscariot in the fold of Jesus’ disciples. It is a known fact that the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye, popularly referred to as Daddy GO by most Christians has been facing series of attacks from some pastors under his ministry just because he will not allow them free hand to mismanage the resources of the church as well as drag the name of the church further in the mud.

The story that he was poisoned took the country by storm at a time, the story was that those who want him to relinquish power had at a time poisoned him with the intention of killing him to give them chance of taking over the church and when they realized that the plan could not work they employ the use of tout to exhort money from the church through land grabbing method.

Many are the atrocities of the pastors under the umbrella of the church some of which has seen the church pastor impregnate members while other will readily defraud their various corporate organizations, some have also been reported to have had children out of wedlock while they are still married. The activity of these pastor are causing trouble for Adeboye who is seen as the head of the church.

Pastor Chris Okotie of Household of God Church

He’s probably the most controversial pastor in Nigeria, the senior pastor of Household of God is not one to shy away from controversy many attributed this to his time in the music industry, Pastor Chris Okotie it was that announce his decision to walk out of his marriage during a church progamme despite his claim that the wife is an Angel set during the period of his wedding only for him to walk out of the whole thing stating that they are not compatible as the reason for the dissolution.

Recently, the musician turned pastor also foment trouble when he claimed that all Catholics and members of Prophet T.B. Joshua’s church will go hell. Okotie is known for his love for crisis which informed the reason he’s not in talking terms with his once ago friend and the founder of the Love World Believers’ Church also known as Christ Embassy.

The pastor has been accused of so many things among which is that he’s sleeping with some members of his congregation amongst which is former Miss Nigeria, Vien Tetsola, Shola Salako, Queen Ure and many others like that. His decision to contest to be president of the country under his Fresh Party, was also viewed as means that the funky pastor is planning to use in causing unnecessary crisis, though he seems to have dropped the idea as he did not contest the last Presidential election in the country a situation that many attributed to the decision of the INEC not to give political parties money again. Pastor Chris Okotie, is well known for his love for stirring controversies.

Pastor Ayodele Joseph Oristejarfor of Word of Life Bible Church

There is a saying that “when one grows old one should be staying off trouble” this much cannot be said about the founder of Word of Life Bible Church, Pastor Ayodele Oristejarfor who has been known for his love for crisis since he was still very young. It could be recalled that his decision to start his own church with the congregation of his former master generated a lot of controversy towards him but he was able to weather it.

Sometimes ago he was said to have lured his church member to giving him a gift of an airplane while so many of them are wallowing in poverty, his name was also in the news over the extravagant lifestyle of his family his wife was at a time sited in a customized limousine which further highlight the life of affluence to the detriment of their poor congregation.

Recently the media was again agog when the pastor who is the President of Christian Association of Nigeria is on collision course with the members of the CAN from the Niger Delta, under the aegis of Global Peace Relief Initiative, led by Prophet Jones Erue over what they described as the President’s unacceptable comments made against them, the current face off has pitched them against one another and this has shown the old war horse is still eager to continue stirring controversies not minding his age.

Pastor Paul Adefarasin of House on the Rock

He’s one of the most talked about of the pastors in the country, he spends big on programmes that is targeted mainly for the youths, sometime ago he dedicated his Rock Cathedral amid pomp and pageant with British former Prime-Minister in attendance alongside the Nigerian president, and all seems to be falling into place, but his church has always been in the news for his decision to create a department for gays in his church, though it was claimed that his intention is to bring them to God but sources revealed his aim is to get the money they have in abundance.

Despite it being obvious that God is against such act which is the main reason he destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, with his decision to encourage these set of people means he’s doing things contradictorily to the bible. Recently the homosexuals in the church has commence aggressive campaign to woo people into their ranks and this has been generating a lot of controversy in the household of God in Nigeria.