Give me my gold WEMA Bank!

‘ WEMA Bank give me my gold!’

Doubts have pervaded the air for some Banks’ customers while many have lost their valuable materials others lost their cash but only few are bold to speak out. Now, this woman refused to keep her mouth shut .Taiwo Abiodun writes

Among the roles of a Bank apart from keeping and lending money is also keeping valuables in their custody like gold, diamond , certificates, Wills among others.

Today, one cannot boast of Banks of being save whether in keeping cash or otherwise. Many now believe that it is more safer to keep valuable materials and money at home instead of Bank.

Madam Enitan Olayinka Harper a long time customer with WEMA Bank is now pleading to the good spirited Nigerians to help her ask WEMA Bank to produce her jewelleries she kept in their Bank before she heads for Court and for them not to loose their reputation.

Now Madam Harper, 69, is ready to fight with her last pint of her blood in order to retrieve her valuable gold of which the WEMA Bank , Egbeda Branch claimed had been stolen by armed robbers. She has vowed to go to the Law Court to sue the Bank for defrauding her. Since the bank had refused a gentleman agreement her lawyer proposed.

According to Harper , she has been banking with WEMA Bank for years which made her to deposit her gold she allegedly valued then at 3million naira [three million naira] in their custody at their Egbeda Branch office. The items were said to have been collected with the inventory taken. A copy of the application letter itemising the jewelleries and signed by the branch secretary was also made available to The Nation. The transaction took place in 2004. She told our correspondent that she has been paying three thousand naira as interest every month.

Along the line obtained a loan of 150,000 naira [one hundred and fifty thousand naira] from the Bank in 2005 of which the agreement was to pay within one year , that is 2006. She had paid 50,000 naira from the said loan. When she requested for her gold she was told that it had been transferred to the head office.

The story later changed when sometimes on December 6, 2010 Again ,when Madam Harper arrived from London and met the Bank’s management of Egbeda Branch and demanded for her gold to sell in order to help her take care of her daughter who was hospitalised in the United Kingdom,

Her words ‘’ my late daughter was suffering from cancer and was hospitalised in the United Kingdom, I was with her for sometime in the hospital, when I discovered that I needed money to assist her I came back home, Nigeria . I went to the Bank to demand for my gold in order to sell it and go back to London to assist my ailing daughter financially and also pay up the balance of the money I borrowed from the Bank. On my arrival at the Bank k the then Manager Wasiu Adeniyi asked me to go and bring the buyer .I said it was not possible for she needed not to know the buyer , Again I demanded for only one item in order to sell and offset the 100,000naira and later I would collect my gold to sell and go to London to take care of my daughter who was being given pints of blood of about 2,500pounds weekly yet the man refused but would ask me to come back every day for one week. .Later the manager said I should give them a week and that the man who knew how to open the vault where the gold were kept had left the Bank. Later the Manager said the gold had been sent to the Head Office’’, the woman narrated .

However, since the woman was still owing the Bank, she told the Manager that she would not pay the balance unless the Bank produce her jewelleries .She said ‘’I was surprised when the Manager later told me that in the year 2010 armed robbers invaded the office and carted away my jewelleries and N25million from the strong room’’, while the woman insisted as she did earlier on in 2006 that the box of her jewellery must be produced before she could pay the amount she borrowed from the Bank, while she did not pay the balance of the 100.000naira since they failed to release the gold in their custody. She contacted her lawyer who wrote to the Management of WEMA Bank .

The lawyer was invited for settlement but nothing came out it, while the Bank is accusing the woman of her failure to pay up the balance of the loan which had gone up to 500.000naira the woman is also asking them to stop adding interest to the money unless they produce her gold.

A letter was fist sent to the WEMA office dated May 25^th 2011 while another was written again on June 21^st June , 2011 by Ogunsanya Chambers was sent to The Legal Adviser of WEMA Bank that reads ‘’ we found it difficult to accept the robbery incident because our client requested for her safe custody items in 2006 and the Branch claimed robbery attack on 6^th day of December, 2010.Over five and half years of debt accumulation through interest applications .You will agree with me that there was no correlation at all…..’

However the Head office at Marina responded to the letter on the 17^th of June 2011 and invited their client and the lawyer for a meeting which reads Your letter dated May 25, 2011 in respect to the above subject refers .Further to our efforts towards addressing the grievances of your client vis a vis the release of safe custody items allegedly lodged with the Egbeda Branch, we here by invite you for a meeting geared towards achieving this end’’, the letter was signed by one Valentine and Kunuji and Johnson Lebile from Legal services Department.

According to the lawyer Kehinde Agboola, the lawyers from the Bank started singing different songs .’’There is something hidden from the woman and I believe if the Management from the top stepped in she would have justice.How can a client keep her valuables with you and paying three thousand monthly you cannot provide them for her and you are accruing interest over the money she owed you. It is unfair ‘’ he stated

When The Nation visited Wema Bank head office at 54 Marina Lagos, the Public Relations Officer, Mr.Femi Adeniran said the bank acknowledged the receipt of application letter for the safe keeping of the jewelleries from the woman as the standard practice but there was no contract binding the two parties. He added that the purported valuables had to be valued and properly insured with the actual time limit the items were to be kept within the bank custody before the bank can be said to be liable. “By the time you do all these things, you know of course there was a contract”. He admitted to have called for a meeting of which the client’s lawyer attended but could not resolve the issue. He explained further that jewelleries and other valuables are usually kept in the head office and couldn’t have been kept in their branch the Branch claimed to have been robbed .He went further to say that the woman ought to have enough evidence by showing receipts of the transactions as hand written paper she presented with the stamp of WEMA Bank and signature evidencing the acceptance of the goods is not enough evidence to show.

The woman who to have been having transaction with the Bank said she used to deposit dollars, and pounds sterling with the Bank when she was still doing business in Dubai. She vowed to take the Bank to Court for unnecessarily increasing her interest on the remaining 100, 000 naira she was yet to balance. ’’I am heading to court, they must produce my jewelleries .They must also stop the interest accrued on the money I borrowed , let them produce my jewelleries and I will pay their balance’’ , she added’’ I cannot be cheated like that ., I have my name to protect, my husband was a Permanent Minister during the Gowon regime .I cannot be hoodwinked .Let them give me my gold.’’

‘what I saw in heaven and hell ’

This carpenter –turned pastor who claims he has been to hell and heaven reveals what he saw in the two places. Now, anytime he narrates what he saw in hell , he would be feeling the physical burning of the heat in hell. He experienced the hell fire again last week at an open field in Aboru-Ipaja. Taiwo Abiodun writes

Anytime he opens his mouth and reveals what he saw and experienced in hell he feels the burning sensation on his body emitted by the hell fire and then keeps on screaming on top of his voice while about 30 already stand by drums of water would be poured on him to cool him down .He foams from the mouth and become unconscious for 12 to 13 hours before he could regain his strength again. He had been experiencing this since 2001.

Welcome to the life of Pastor Moses Ezekiel of The Heavenly Vision World Evangelical Ministry who claimed he was in trance in 1987 and visited hell and heaven .’’I was alone in my room in 1987 when I was in trance and visited heaven and hell .In hell I felt the heat , its like when you are in Lagos here but feeling the heat from Abuja. I saw a lot of people from different races , black and white burning and crying .I heard the voice of a woman crying and begging and pleading to come back to the world receive Christ Jesus, she said her husband made her to be where she was now –hell.

‘’Another , a youth cried that it was his friend who said they should enjoy the world a little while a man was crying and begging for water but there was no water for him to drink ‘’said the 44year-old pastor , who had preached in about 216 places.

According to Ezekiel, paradise is full of gold , the road , houses and everything is gold , ‘’I saw mamy people in white garment in paradise while some had crowns , stars on their heads others wore only white garments praising God. I saw Jesus Christ, he is handsome , huge and beautiful .He is a tall man .It is not the picture that we frame on the walls in our parlours that we call Jesus, he is different entirely.

Jesus drew the cloud aside and we were looking at the earth and the world .He said’’ see those who claim they are holy , who said their names are in the book of life .Men are wearing knickers bucker and wearing punk to church .Women are putting on wrong things, burning their head to my house while pastors quarrel over money and positions . Tell them to change from their ways, go and preach the salvation’’

On when and how the heat started from his body, the pastor said ‘’anytime I am revealing what I saw in hell I will be feeling the heat from my tummy and it started from cooling it with sachet of water then the heat spread to my body while vapour would be coming from my head while buckets of water would be poured on me from buckets of water to drums of water until it went up to 20 , 30drums of water. If they don’t pour it on me I will faint as my blood would get dried and my eyes would be turning.

‘’After that I could be in coma for 12 to 13 hours. In order to regain my strength again I would need to shout 100 halleluyah, jump up and regain my strength , then fresh anointing would come and I will become whole again.’’

Asked whether other men of God accept his claims, he responded ‘’many believed while many did not , but I thank God that I have won many souls to God to gain paradise’’

Pastor Joseph Adegboye Adeniyi of Strong Tower Pentecostal Missionary Church, Aboru-Ipaja said ‘’I invited the pastor for a crusade last week and it happened again at the open field here. I am convinced that God is using him to warn the world that there is hell.’’

Mr Julius Adegunna the publisher of PTL News Christian magazine described the experience as shocking , he said ‘’ through out my life I have never seen such thing .I have never witnessed such . The pastor was screaming on top of his voice that he was feeling burning sensation and of hell and drums of water were being poured on him , he was rolling on the ground .It was too much until he was bundled and driven off in a Bus .

While some argued that he could be faking, others said it could be hallucination while some said he might need medical experts to diagnose the burning sensation for it is unbelievable.

Owo- Young Wizard the magician

‘I am now a Born Again Christian’

Pa Kehinde Ilesile practised magic for over 40 years .He is now a Born Again Christian .He says he does not want any of his children to practise magic for it is evil. Taiwo Abiodun met him .

For those whose ages are between 40 and above , the magician called Young Wizard will easily come to mind especially in the old Western State, Northern Nigeria and in some African neighbouring countries where he practised the magical art. He had preformed magic in various schools both in primary and secondary schools, and in tertiary institutions between 1950s and 1990s . But today Young Wizard had stopped the practise and says it is unchristian.

Young Wizard met God in the church during a Sunday service. After listening to a sermon about the ills of magic practise he then had a change of mind and later discarded all the abracadabra he had practised for over 40years.

He gave his reason :’’ A pastor preached in the church that magical art is not good and that it is unchristian .The sermon touched me . When I heard this I repented .I am now a Born Again Christian .I have learnt my lesson that magical art does not pay’’, he said in a croaked voice and then sank into the dirty and torn sofa chair in the living room. The old man now lives at Omi Adiye , in Owo , Ondo state.

Young Wizard has become a shadow of himself. He is no longer bubbling .His chubby face has disappeared while his body is now wrinkled .He looked sick and weak courtesy of old age.

Probed further on what he has gained from the magic business so far in terms of wealth , in response the old man declared’’ I have no money . I was only popular then . I only had fame but I was not rich. Now ,I am living in my father’s house .I have no house of my own but I still believe that it is not too late to build a house .

I am now over 70, there is nothing God cannot do’’, he told The Nation.

That is the life story of the septuagenarian magician , Kehinde Ilesile popularly known as Young Wizard. The nickname was given to him by some Britons who watched his performance and were amazed at Sabo Hotel , Ita Balogun in Lagos in 1958.’’When the Britons or colonial masters who were in Nigeria then saw my magical feat at Ita Balogun they were shocked seeing a young man like me performing in magic in big way . It was there they gave me the nick name and called me Young Wizard. Since then it stuck on me and only few knew my real name’’ .

On the type of magic he performed that earn him the nick name Young Wizard , he said ‘’ I was drinking drink beer from the bottom of the bottle without removing the cork ,and the spectators were amazed that was where they started calling me Young Wizard.

At over 70 , Young Wizard has grown old and the energy in him has gone .He looked pale and sick. He said ‘’ I am now sick and I am old . I no longer practise magic again. It does not pay’’.

He told of his experience when he met the Lord, he said ‘’ I have accepted Christ into my life. God is beyond everybody .I now believe there is power that is above all these things called magic .I will not practise it again and now I have abandoned it

.I now go to church. I attend Christ Apostolic Church . I now go to the house of the Lord to pray .I have accepted Christ into my life .God is beyond everybody. Man is wicked . I have seen a lot’’, he declared with emotion and betrayed self pity as he turned into a preacher .

Ilesile did not attend any school of magic to study it, as he told The Nation ‘’I did not have any formal education .I did not learn the art of Magic. I did not go to any school of magic like those ones the late Professor Peller went .I did not have any formal education, . My parents did not send me to any school, ’’.

At the age of seven, Kehinde Ilesile was taken away by the whirlwind where he spent three years in the thick forest , it was there he learnt the art of magic. When he returned he began to perform magic.

He said ‘’I remember that if I stretch out my hand and demand for any object , it will appear. If I ask it to disappear it will disappear. I can call a stone to appear or disappear and it will be so. I only need to say the word or command it . That was all. I don’t know where they come from and I don’t know where those things disappear to. I don’t conjure any spirit , I did not go to school to learn the art .I am unlike those who went to school of Magic that would have to say one thing and followed it to the letter.’’.

Asked whether he knew the late Professor Peller the popular Magician , he answered to the affirmative and said :’’Yes, the late Professor Peller went to School of Magic but I did not . I am an illiterate. I cannot speak English . That is the difference between us . I also remember Oladokun of Ikirun and Alimi Ibarapa who were also magicians along with me then, they were my senior in the profession and did not go to school to learn it like me too.’’

He boasted that he did not perform ‘box match magic ‘ or carried instruments about like other magicians but used bare hands to demand for things that would appear and disappear ‘’

According to him he had performed in many states and towns in Nigeria like Lagos , Ibadan, Oyo, Owo, Akure , Oshogbo Kaduna, Kano and in the West African neighbouring countries such as Ghana , Benin Republic, etc. His words ‘’ I have performed in many places .I used to go to schools both the secondary and primary to perform. I used to drink beer from the bottom of the bottle instead of removing the cork ,and that was where they started calling me Young Wizard.

He told The Nation one of his close shave with death :’’ I was once swept away by the Atlantic ocean’s sea waves in Lagos. The waves took me to the middle of the ocean but God is so wonderful that I was washed ashore again. I thought it had finished but God rescued me . ‘’He confessed that “ There is no magic one can perform on the sea , it is a different terrain entirely. God used to send His angels to keep watch over us all the time .He has angels guarding our noses, head and other parts of our body , that is it’’ he said, trembling. .

However, in spite his magical feat he said the side effect of magic is bad for God did not support it. He argued that “ God did not support magic, that is why one cannot be successful in it .There is no money in the profession in Nigeria for it is not regarded as a serious business . They did not appreciate it as they do in overseas countries . Here, if you claim that you are a magician they will accuse you want of trying to dupe them. They will call you a liar. They forgot it is part of entertainment. It is a profession in the civilized world. But here people will hate you if call yourself a magician’’

He said whatever materials he used magical power to attract or collect he does not use them but gives them out to people, ’’Ha! We don’t use the materials or objects or spend the money we used abracadabra to get. It is forbidden, we must not do it’’, he said with a frowned face.

He believes that witches and wizards do exist but says they put people into trouble. He said he did not practise any of these and refuted the claim that he is a wizard ‘’I am just like ordinary person like you and calling me Young Wizard is just a nickname .I sleep and wake up like any other person , there is nothing extra ordinary in me .I am a human being like any other person’’.

Where is the power now? The Nation asked while he too responded ‘’I don’t have to do it again I have stopped . Since I had been going to church and listening to sermon.

I was into star gazing, Ifa oracle and divination and many other things but in the end I stopped it. There is nothing in it, it is all evil.’

However, Young Wizard did not pray to pass the profession on to his children as he screamed’’ No! . God forbid. I don’t pray to pass it on to my children. Do you think Magic is a good thing ?. It is not a good thing my brother .It is not a good thing . I reject it .None of my children should do it. Never and Never!’’ he swore

one chance business foiled in Lagos

For a lady Cashier, Amarachi working with Shoprite , at Alausa , Ikeja it was a lucky for her for she could have been kidnapped or duped by suspected Get Rich Quick people.
Two men and two women were in a Mazda car with registration number CX 487-FST were caught last Friday by the the Police at Alausa , the Lagos seat of Lagos government last Friday around 10am when a lady called Amarachi was sandwichched and was almost kidnapped when the law enforcement agent caught the dare devil men of the underworld.
Amarachi , a cashier with Shoprite supermarket, an international supermarket located at Alausa who was abducted narrated how she was almost hood winked and kidnapped.'' when I waited endlessly for cab and did not find any , i decided to join the cab called kabukabu not knowing that i was in a wrong vehicle.Few minutes after joining the cab , the driver started the conversation and asked one of the ladies what she kept in her bag in the boot, the woman replied and said she kept pampers , again the driver said if the policeman found any strange thing in his boot he should not be held responsible .And the woman and the other woman started begging and declared they are prostitute and then begged Amarachi to help them beg the driver, later the two women said they had dollars in their bags and claimed they are prostitutes.I was afraid and I asked them to drop me but they refused , they asked me to bring out all my things.
''Later , I struggled to get out of the cab at Ministry of Environment , Alausa.I made effort to unlock the door while they too pushed me out and I started screaming , and screaming .They pushed me and i fell into a gutter while the policemen and other Mobile Police officers came to rescue me.I was taken to the Mobile Clinic and was treated of my bruises .I thank God for rescuing me from these kidnappers ''.
When this reporter met them at the scene , the suspects had already been mercilessly beaten and were half naked , if not the timely intervention of the police and Mobile Policemen the suspects could have been lynched'.
When this reporter got to Shorprite, many did not know what had befallen Amarachi, their staff.While some who heard about her misadventure came to sympathize with her.The suspects are now cooling their legs in the police custody.

Ero festival in Owo

Age grade festival

Owo observe Ero festival Carnival

Recently , the ancient town, Owo in Ondo state observed [Age grade festival ]Ero Festival .Taiwo Abiodun who witnessed the show writes

Their ages were between 65 and 70.They were all dressed in embroidered complete aso oke [sanyan]Yoruba traditional flowing gown[agbada].It was a colourful occasion .Some of them are chiefs. As they danced , clapped, and wriggled their waists the beads on their necks were swinging sideways .Not minding their status they all danced along with their colleagues . The local musicians rendered songs A rogbo o koko, ene ro sorire , arogbo o koko, iba wa mee ro , A rogbo o koko Awa panmi panmi, awa yena yena [ we are rejoicing as we have joined the elders , whoever celebrate with us is lucky , rejoice with us .We have toiled and paid our dues ].

As the beating of leather drums and the iron gong were more pronounced and the cries of joy went up to high heavens the celebrators increased their dancing steps , while some held the helms of their garments others danced with their ornamental walking sticks .As they approached the gate of the Olowo Palace , they went into frenzy. They danced, and displayed acrobatic skill despite their ages and fragile bodies .They showed love, faithfulness and paid obeisance to the monarch .

In return the royal father came out with his royal traditional sword to rejoice and danced along with them and prayed for them ’’May you all live long .May your shadow and glory never diminish ‘’ he prayed while the thunderous amen followed. He later presented them kolanuts, money , drinks among other things. This was during the Ero Festival held in Owo recently.

Ero festival it is observed every seven years. But this time around it was different because it was observed nine years. Reason :Olowo of Owo celebrated his age grade nine years ago and it is a custom that if the monarch observed his age grade , two years must be added to it making nine years before another Ero festival is held or observed .It is a sign of respect , honour and culture for the monarch.

To attain the Ero grade , according to Chief Babatunde Emmanuel Olugbade

Special clothes are woven for the occasion, and there are some clothes woven by the first daughter of the celebrator

The native clothes woven for the Ero festival are; Seghosen, Iketa, Panmeta , Igbero, Ipanmeru and Kirijo according to Chief Ayodele Obajuaye.

However, Obajuaye described the clothes as special and uncommon clothes attached with so many taboos “,for example whoever weaving the Kirijo clothe must avoid going out of the premises where she was doing it for seven days .She must not partake in leftover food, that is she must eat fresh food everyday until she finished the production. The woman weaving the clothe must have some kolanuts by her side and be giving well wishers.

However, Christians among them took their clothes and danced round the town them will end up in the church to offer prayers on them .The Muslims are not left out as they too took their clothes to the Mosque with their well wishers and offered prayers ditto to the African Traditional Religion worshippers who too called the Traditional priests to pray for them.

‘’No any man born of a woman must have personal contact with the weaver in nutshell no man should even get close to where it is woven. The High Chief added that the woven clothe is always given back to the first female child and it must not be used as girdle or strap belt for the baby boy. Whoever uses it for a male child would have herself to blame’’

One of the celebrant Chief Olugbade spoke about the preparation of the festival , he said ‘’It is like graduation. You must complete the necessary rites and fulfil all righteousness ,One will have to spend seven years in each stage. In Ugbamo alegho and graduate to Ugbakeji Ugbamo where you are to participate in the towns’s activitities like repairing the road, clearing the bush path and fetching water from the stream for the town’s usage . Thus , this is the stage of building the town and contributing one’quota to the development of the town. The third step is Ugbama , where one reaches the ages of 50years plus and the last stage is Ugbama Agba ,

On his own , Chief Olugbade said he killed antelope, cow and entertained friends and well wishers .’’Many killed cows while those who could afford goat did. But it is not compulsory for the celebrators to kill a cow , it depends on one’s purse. But I must confess that this is the period everybody knows how popular and important he is in the community as it is an opportunity to showcase affluence, and fame’’

Engineer Banji Aralepo who participated too said it is another way of thanking God for sparing one’s life. Yes, it is a birthday celebration but I am telling you that it is another way of getting closer to your community and participating in what ever they are doing .I love it, for it is another way of bringing the sons of the soil together and celebrating .

In Owo town , only the male that will celebrate age grade festival while some other neighbouring towns have women who participate in age grade festival , but for Owo , the honour and respect is distinct that no any woman is allowed to partake in the age grade festival

The Olowo of Owo spoke about the festival and said ‘’ it is not fetish, it is like birthday , and it goes along with one’s age group or age bracket. They rejoiced that they have joined the age of wisdom and the stage where they will no longer work or run around .They have become the town leaders and they are the ones solving problems and contribute to the community’s development .It is a blessing .It is here one retires to eat from the fruit of his labour, This is the age of living to one’s fulfilment. They become the wise acre of the community.’’

But an interesting note is a 50 year -old man who also celebrated along with the old men in the Age grade and the question everybody is asking is what was this young man doing for among the old men in their late 60s and 70s? That is the question posed to one of the celebrators, Olanrewaju Fajolu., However, Fajolu said he participated in the Age grade festival because he was occupying the high position meant for the elders .He said ‘’ I am a chief , and I am occupying the chieftaincy title of my late father . I am Chief Oja of Ehin –Ogbe, my age notwithstanding , it is mandated that I must observe what the position requires . And it is a big privilege for me .I thank the Olowo of Owo for accepting a young man like me .I believe it is a destiny.

Honourable Olanipekun Adebeye described the festival as a beautiful thing other towns will soon emulate.’’When I got to the palace and saw the sea of heads of my people celebrating Ero festival , I was elated because it is the sign of love and unity .Irrespective of quarters and religious affiliation they all turned up with drum and gongs to celebrate and made the ancient and first class town in Yoruba Kingdom to be agog again. It is wonderful and the beauty radiates seeing the clothes they wore .It is fantastic.’’, Adebeye stated.

Moses Orimolade Tunolase still alive!

‘’

,

‘We are still in spiritual contact with our founder ’

St.Moses Orimolade Tunolase, Founder Cherubim and Seraphim Organisation worldwide was celebrated all over the country in the Aladura sect penultimate

Taiwo Abiodun visited the late founder’s country home, Ikare in Ondo state and Ojokoro, Lagos where his faithful worship

.

Family Background

He was from the idol worshipping background .His father was a herbalist and a popular Masquerade known all over the town .Moses Orimolade Tunolase was born in 1878.According to Pa George Olanrewaju Tunolase who is a cousin to Orimolade ,When Orimolade was in the womb he would be talking to his mother and advising him on what to do. And the mother found it difficult to deliver him , while the beads of the then Owa -Ale of Ikare was demanded to be put on the mother’s neck for her to deliver safely, still, she didn’t deliver the child. However he was eventually delivered , and the very day he was born he started walking , this caused his father to use juju on him to avoid embarrassment .However, an epileptic woman who was being treated by the father of Moses fell on him when he had fit but that did not kill the newly baby boy as he grew up to be a very powerful preacher and miracle healer ‘’

While some said he was lame from birth but George denied that he was not ,’’ he used to carry my father on his shoulder to the farm., so it is not true that he was lame’’.

Married Life

During his life time, he neither married nor had children . Speaking to The Nation , Pa Tunolase [74]who is still living in the family house said ‘’my late father who was the elder brother to the late founder of Cherubim and Seraphim told me that Moses did not marry at all .He said Moses told his father that they could go and marry but for him he had chosen to be a Eunuch, as there are three types of Eunuch , the ones that the kings castrated and kept watching their Queens, the ones from heaven and those who became eunuch in order to serve God of which Moses chose’’. The Uncle continued ‘’my father told me that Orimolade said that his children would be like the sand of seashore. We were confused , but now the Aladura sect are numerous all over the world as they cannot be counted.

Myth surrounding his miracles

Many mysteries are woven round the Moses. He was said to have possessed a supernatural power that no one ever had. According to Most Superintendent Kunle Ayanfe, Moses was said to have been a special person with a supernatural power. He would get to where he and his group were going before anyone of them and they wondered how .Till he died nobody was able to unravel the mystery.’’

According to Ayanfe ‘’ some white men who heard about his good works came to approach him to come and heal their boss in overseas . Moses refused to go with them in the aircraft they brought and promised to meet them there. Before the white men got there, he had gone and come back. When the messengers got to their boss and saw him healed and bouncing , he told them he had been healed by a man whom he described with the features of Moses , the man they came to meet in Nigeria. He had the power as he used to pass through the rock and water while people wonder how he manage to perform such a feat.

Tombs

Before his death on October 19,1933 , he instructed his followers to exhume his body forty years after his death and buried him in his home town, Ikare,Akoko in Ondo state.

Accompanied by the late Highlife musician I.K Dairo who was also popularly called Baba Aladura , and on October 19, 1975 , his body was exhumed and was taken to Ikare, Akoko. where he was buried.

In fact, his body was said to be fresh and intact ,not decayed while his clothes were as white as snow.

Ojokoro empty Tomb

At Ojokoro where the first Aladura church was established is a big mausoleum.

A giant statute of the founder is erected there on top of an empty grave. In the grave are three candles which are usually lighted during service. The church faithfuls would dance round the mausoleum , sleep in the mausoleum where two graves of the senior leaders were buried .Not only this, the faithful also placed kegs of water and other things where they pray over them invoking the God of Moses Orimolade to heal, assist and answer their prayers.

Asked if the spirit of Moses is still there, an elder in the church said ‘’ Moses Orimolade shed his blood here, his flesh dried here , so it is only the body that was removed to his home town Ikare Akoko in Ondo State.We His spirit is still here .

While this reporter asked whether it is not a blasphemy, Matthew Akeusola denied it and said they need to appreciate and honour him.

Ikare Tomb

Here, at Mercyland known as Oke -Anu which is in Iku in Iyometa Area, of Ikare Akoko Ondo State where the exhumed body of Orimolade was eventually buried in 1975. Placed by the tomb are A Holy Bible, candles, crucifix and other things while at the entrance of the mausoleum are kegs of water and other things while people file out praying on the mountain.

Special Room

In the family house of the Orimolade Tunolases at Okorun also in Iyometa Area of Ikare is a special room where the late founder lived before he died. The room has been kept sacredand reserved as the faithfuls visit there for special prayers. The room is divided into two, while the inner one is where some paraphernalia of his office are kept. Ayanfe who led this reporter there at the initial stage fell into a trance and later came back alive , he said ‘’ this room is a powerful room and nobody is allowed to come in anyhow. It is sacred’’.

Corroborating what Ayanfe said , the old man in the house , Pa Tunolase said he used to hear spiritual songs every night but he is not afraid for he knew it is the Angels from Heaven that are singing .His words ‘’ I used to hear spiritual songs coming out from the room in the midnight , and we don’t see anybody at all as we only hear voices. But it is crystal clear that the man Moses is a saint.

Apostle Oladokun Aduragbemi the President General and the Spiritual Head of Eso, C&S, Noah’s Ark in London said he came all the way from London to participate in the remembrance of the departed leader and said the room where Moses used in his father’s house is a sacred place where one’s prayer is accepted straight if one has faith. He gave an example ‘’ I came from London few days ago and I was called on the phone that one of my children was sick. I went straight to Papa’s room and prayed. Some hours later I was informed that he has been okay and doing well.

Moses Well

There is a well believed to be efficacious in healing all kinds of diseases. The well was said to have been blessed by the late founder who use it for healing all kinds of

diseases. Women are not allowed to fetch it but only a male. Any female that fetches it will have her menstruation seized for ever and will not conceive. Examples are abound .

Palm Tree

The palm tree is mysterious and medicinal . It was planted by the late founder , Orimolade. According to a prophetess,….’’the bark is highly medicinal. It cures all aliments. People come from all over the world to take from it .We don’t joke with it .Speaking further , a prophet and a prophetess said ‘’ the palm fronds on the palm trees are different from others and you cannot get it from anywhere in the world .

Dr. Gabriel Olukayode said he was born in the Aladura sect and cannot leave it .

For Popoola Babatunde Raphael , the growth within the Aladura can be compared with that of the Cathloic, as it is growing everyday and no other sect can rival it.

Defending why the growth is still spreading , Gorge Asogba said’’ since Orimolade had refused to have children , God compensated him by multiplying the number of the Aladura faithful as they are called Children of Moses Orimolade. Asked why most of the faithful and their children wear dreadlocks ,Asogba defended it by saying ‘’Moses Orimolade had dreadlocks and so it was passed to us all and it is for protection. Whoever has such in the family is a blessing to such family’’

When challenged that some Christians have the opinion that they are fetish since they are practising the Old Testament in the way of their worship by sacrificing ,using coconuts , candles among other things, but Aduragbemi debunked the claim and said ‘’ they are just envious of the sect’’.