Missing Child in Akure: ‘Sotitobireism’ and ‘Ipe To n Sha’na’🔥🔥
By David Fidelis
Truth is bitter and believe me, my opinion here might be a bitter pill to swallow but sincerely, you must agree with me if you are a Christian in Nigeria, and one who takes his faith with a measure of seriousness, you should feel some sore discomfiture at the news of “men of God” who dip their hands into stuff uncomplimentary of their celestial office. These stories are endless and their atrocities are unimaginable thereby generating issues of national debate and concerns.
The ugly incident of Some angry youths burning down Sotitobire Miracle Church in Akure, the Ondo state on Wednesday 18th December 2019, leading to the death of three persons and destruction of properties worth millions of Naira, over claims that the corpse of the missing one year old boy, Gold Kolawole who got missing in the Church in November was exhumed from the church altar is worthy of condemnation.Recall that One month after the disappearance of a year old baby, Gold Kolawole from the Akure Popular Miracle centre, Sotitobire Church, the Department of State Services had arrested the suspect, Prophet Babatunde Alpha and taken to their custody, for interrogation.
The arrest of the founder and general overseer of an Akure based popular Miracle Centre, Sotitobire Church, wasn’t in connection his alleged roles in the missing of one year-old boy, Gold at his church over one month ago. Alfa, who is the founder of the popular church known as ‘Sotitobire Miracle Centre’ which is located at Oshinle quarters area of Akure, was accused by the parents of the missing child identified as Gold Kolawole, over the mysterious disappearance of their son from the church during church service.
Since the disappearance of the child, the arrest of the ‘Prophet’, ‘Sotitobireism and ‘Ipe to n Sha’na’🔥🔥 ( the call that blinks fire 🔥🔥) has been the trending story with different versions of the story even from those who doesn’t have idea of the incident. Some alleged that the prophet is indeed the disciples of Lucifer and the servants of the Prince of Hell, that his popular slogan and acronym ” IPE TO N SHANA”🔥🔥 has finally catch fire 🔥🔥.
The saga is gathering momentum everyday as the General Overseer of the Akure Popular Miracle centre, Sotitobire Church, Alpha Babatunde has dragged the Department of State Services (DSS) to a federal High Court sitting in Akure over his unlawful detention for over one week and failure to arraign him over the incident. The Paramount Ruler of the Kingdom, the Deji of Akure, His Royal Majesty, Aladetoyinbo Adelusi Odundun III has dissociate himself from his alleged involvement in the saga. The state Government have made it’s position know, preaching for peace and tranquility and the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, CP Undie Adie has given assurance that no stone will be left on turn in order to see the root of the matter and also bring the perpetrators of the ugly insident to book.
Now, my point is that truly, when I got to the scene of the event the first day, I was unable to visit the altar of the church to confirm the veracity of the alleged exhumed corpse with the lion behavior of the youths. It was God who saved me and Mr. Isa Nasiru of Channels Television from the angry mob, we would have suffered serious beating just like some of our colleagues from Hope Newspaper, BBC, Daily Times and Breez FM. But believe me, the following day I went there again but truly, the altar of the church wasn’t dug as claimed by people. No corpse was found, then I continue to wonder how fake news fly so fast! I began to fear humans and their poisoning tongue!Be as it may, it’s worthy of condemnation the atrocities of most men of God in the present day world, most especially Nigeria. Some “men of God” have been alleged to have lured other people’s wives into bed in the name of intervening for them in prayers. On a lot of occasions such women get ultimately appropriated by the one who claims to “represent” God. That is not all. People who claim to represent God have been found to rape grown up women, children, cheat and dupe people, engage in sodomy, and there have even be stories of murder!
Then, there is the manipulation of hapless but ignorant congregants who equate their pastors to God. We have heard of churches where ladies were instructed to attend worship without underwear.This, we read, would allow the easy penetration of the spirit of whatever god they serve. It is okay to teach the brethren about the desire and promises of God for their prosperity in health and otherwise, but many a claimant to the gospel have made a career of the commercialisation of the Christian faith, prioritising the acquisition of the material over the spiritual. It will therefore not be far-fetched if a substantial chunk of our social capital deficit is attributable to the watering down of the commercial essence of the Christian faith by its supposed custodians.
My father in the Lord, Rev. Ojo Gbadegeshin said in the good old days, African traditional society respected anything called “sacred”. Sacred animals were never eaten, sacred fishes were never caught in sacred rivers. Evil forests were never cultivated, and the priests were respected, their words were law, because the society saw them as spokespersons of the gods. The society had ways of dealing with various crimes, good name was an asset. I’ll gotten wealth was not celebrated, rather, a suddenly rich family is ostracized, and nobody wants to marry from there.
This same allegiance was transferred to Christianity. The church was a holy place, clergymen were highly revered and respected. In fact, in Yorubaland where we all prostrate for the kings, men of God are exempted. Old people, old enough to have the Pastor as grandchild all bow in reverence to honour the man of God. They never knew that the man of God could misbehave, he was seen to be talking with God, all the times.
A time came the story changed, they began to catch clergymen with their wives, doing what only the heathen do. So, these men of God are ordinary! They began to see the anointed fighting the elders over salary! Swearing in the names of gods of his village! Whaaaat? So, this white cassocks only cover dark hearts, they began to meet the men of God, buying drinks where they buy, and sometimes joining them at the joints. The curtain was removed, and the story changed.
The church began to celebrate wealth without any regard for its source. What happened at the time of Emperor Constantine, that destroyed the first revival keep repeating itself. Have you seen any church that suspended a political office holder, a millionaire, a highly placed wealthy man, a traditional ruler before, oh sorry, they are saints now, it’s only poor, average, struggling people that do violate the laws of God. I know some churches do, I know some Pastors do, but they are in the minority. Many Pastors only know the houses of rich members. They have their phone numbers, and are always available in case of any emergencies, but the poor are committed into the Hans of God, after all, only God is the father to the fatherless and husband to widows! Special offices are always created to make the rich happy, they don’t even need to be punctual, once their cash is punctual, God knows that they are busy.
‘Sotitobireism’ and ‘Ipe to n Shana’🔥🔥 should teach us and these so called pastors a lesson. Fellow Nigerians, ‘Our Mum Don Do’, enough of worldliness and carnality. Like our ancient shrines, when the church was church, rubbers were not carting the offerings and tithes away, they were not kidnapping the priests. Society respected the anointed, when the anointed used to respect himself. It’s time to go back to Bethel ” our carnality don too muchChristians must have it at the back of their mind that there are no saints existing on this planet and even if there were saints, those saints would only be saints, not God. Pastors are mere men who are susceptible to every token of emotions common to mortals. It is right to expect that intimacy with God would place those who do his work in higher spiritual pedestal than mere men, but nothing vitiates the mortality of all men, whether they are pastors or bishops. And the earlier human beings realised this, the easier it would be for them to deal with news of shortcomings of some so-called “men of God” and their own spirituality, a typical example of ‘Sotitobireism’.
As Christians, we’ve failed to understand that God expects personal relationship with him, with the ability to fellowship him and speak to him and hear him speak from every Christian. It is the refusal of a lot of us Christians to grow in the faith and develop personal intimacy with God, and know God by and for themselves that makes induces vulnerability to the manipulation of people who are bent on exploiting the gospel for their personal gains as we mostly see today in Nigeria.
In Mathew 24: 24-25, Jesus warns: “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand…” so, am not always perturbed when I see men of God doing miracles and I’m sure that’Sotitobireism’ and his ‘Ipe to un Shana’🔥🔥 will greatly teach Christians desperately searching for miracle a great lesson that there is no any ‘Ipe to un Shana’🔥🔥.
I rest my case!!
Fidelis David wrote from Akure, the Ondo State Capital.fidelisdavid5@gmail.com07060835375(sms only)
