The senior pastor of the Fountain of Life church, Jimmy Odukoya, has reiterated that God instructed him not to cut his dreadlocks.

The Nollywood actor cum clergyman in a recent sermon recalled seeking divine clarity about his appearance before resuming pastoral duties at the church.

Jimmy, who succeeded his late father, Taiwo Odukoya, said his sister had raised concerns about how his hairstyle might affect public perception, and he told her to pray about it.

Odukoya also narrated how God used his dreadlocks to save a woman who travelled from Zimbabwe to Nigeria to attend service.

He said, “Before I came back, one of the things I asked the Lord was whether or not I should cut my hair. And the Lord told me not to cut my hair.

“I knew what God had said to me so I told my sister to go pray and that God will speak to her. She goes back and told me I wasn’t supposed to cut my hair, to which I replied, ‘I know, because God already told me.

“A couple of weeks ago, someone had come to see me all the way from Zimbabwe just to come to church. I said please bring the lady in and she begins to tell me her story.

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“She says, ‘People think I’m crazy. I told everybody I am coming to Nigeria for the next three to four weeks. I’m just coming to church’.

“She says, ‘It was 2016, I was in New York, it was Thanksgiving and I had a vision, it felt so real. In this vision, I see you with your hair and you’re speaking to me and I have been dealing with somethings in my life.

“There was this dog on my shoulder. I knew the dog represented the weight I was carrying and you had this long sword. You began speaking to me and it looked like thunder and lightning was coming out of the sword and it burnt the dog into ashes. And you began to declare over me and gave certain instructions’.

“She said, ‘Fast forward 2025, after that vision I went through a tough break-up, I lost everything in a divorce. My ex took the house.’ She said, ‘Everything I worked for… It was a tough time. To compound issues, my mom got sick and I watched her die in my arms’.

“She said she was trying to find God so she went on YouTube to hear sermons. And all of a sudden my preaching popped up.

“And she said, ‘You don’t understand, because when I had this vision, I didn’t know you existed. The person I saw, I did not know it was a real person. So when I saw the man from the vision with a long hair I screamed. I didn’t know any pastor would have long hair.

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The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has revealed that the administration of President Donald Trump will be a threat to global peace and will likely spark several wars among nations.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele recalled how he warned citizens of the United States and the world at large against voting for Donald Trump in order to avoid the issues being faced at the moment.

The prophet stated that Trump’s administration will be full of negativities and that the world is yet to see anything, indicating that more difficult times are still coming under the administration of Donald Trump.

However, he stated that no matter how powerful Trump thinks he is, he will be disgraced.

“I warned the world before voting for Donald Trump that his administration would be majorly negative. America voted for the wrong person, and as a matter of fact, with the way it is now, the world hasn’t seen anything yet.”

“Trump will use the military to do a lot, and the world will go to war. I am not seeing peace across the world, but as powerful as he is, he will be disgraced.”

Speaking on his relationship with Elon Musk, Primate Ayodele revealed that they will have issues which will lead to separation.

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“Elon Musk and Trump will still fight; they will have serious issues sooner or later. I warned the world, but they didn’t listen; they should expect war in his administration.”

The autopsy on Dogo, a Hausa labourer, who died while clearing the soak-away pit of Celestial Church of Christ, Overcomers Parish, Ajah, Lagos in June 2023, has absolved the church shepherd, Venerable Superior Evangelist Aso James, and his two assistants of culpability.

According to Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chief Superintendent of Police Benjamin Hundeyin, the result of the autopsy exonerates the cleric and his assistants, who had been victims of a mob attack shortly after Dogo was found dead in the pit.

“What I can confirm is that the case has been to court and the people that we (the police) took to court are people that we found culpable of arson by setting the church on fire, assault by attacking the shepherd and stealing. We do not take people that we have not found culpable to court. The shepherd was not taken to court for anything. He wasn’t found culpable of anything. The autopsy did not indict him. If the autopsy had indicted him, definitely, we would have taken him to court,” Hundeyin said.

He added: “The reason I am not talking specifically about the autopsy is because it is written in medical jargon, which I cannot really interpret. But the interpretation we got from our medical officers confirmed that the shepherd or any other person at that, is not culpable.”

Apostle Festus Alilu, the senior pastor of Word of Power Gospel Church International in Ughelli, Delta State, was arrested by the police late Thursday following controversial statements he made against Pastor Korede Komaiya of The Master’s Place International Church, a well-known prosperity preacher.

The arrest comes after Apostle Alilu posted a video on his official Facebook page in which he accused Pastor Komaiya of misleading church members with fabricated prosperity teachings.

Alilu alleged that Komaiya’s sermons were designed to exploit congregants’ faith by promoting financial breakthroughs and success through offerings and tithes, a practice commonly associated with the prosperity gospel.

In the video, Apostle Alilu referenced activist Omoyele Sowore’s ongoing criticism of certain Nigerian pastors, suggesting that Komaiya’s teachings contributed to the growing distrust and scepticism toward Christian leaders.

Sowore, a well-known human rights activist, has been outspoken about corruption and manipulation within Nigerian churches, often targeting prosperity preachers for exploiting vulnerable worshippers. Alilu warned that if Komaiya and others did not abandon such deceptive practices, it could deepen the divide and confusion within the Christian community.

While some commenters supported Alilu’s bold stance, others criticised him for publicly challenging a fellow pastor, arguing that internal matters within the church should be handled privately.

A video obtained by SaharaReporters shows the moment Alilu was arrested.

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Pastor Komaiya is a senior figure within The Master’s Place International Church, a rapidly growing church with a large following in Nigeria.

Known for his charismatic preaching style, Komaiya has built a reputation on the promise of divine prosperity. He teaches that faith and consistent giving lead to material wealth and personal success.

Despite ongoing criticism, his teachings reflect the broader prosperity gospel movement, which has gained significant influence in Nigeria and Africa.

As of the time of reporting, neither Pastor Komaiya nor The Master’s Place International Church has issued an official response to the accusations or the arrest of Apostle Alilu.

Source: SaharaReporters

Former pastor of the City of David parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, has announced that his newly established ministry, The Family Fellowship, has acquired a permanent site at Eko Atlantic.

Speaking during the church’s second service at Civic Centre, Pastor Iluyomade revealed that the land was donated by a member of the church. He used the occasion to encourage Christians to embrace the act of giving, both to their fellow humans and to support God’s work. According to him, many believers struggle with the principle of giving, which he described as a sacrificial act that brings God’s blessings.

In his sermon, titled “Giving,” Pastor Iluyomade emphasized the importance of understanding biblical principles on offerings and tithes. He said:

“As believers, you have to be very careful because there are all kinds of doctrines flying around today. I want us to reason together because there have been many teachings concerning giving. If you are not careful, you will miss it in this area, and that is the gospel truth.”

He continued: “Your giving begins with your offering. Tithe belongs to God—10 percent of your income belongs to Him. And God knows mathematics. Many people avoid reading Malachi 3, where God complains about people robbing Him in tithes and offerings.”

“We need to repent. If God calls us robbers, we should ask ourselves: will any robber enter heaven? And how much is this 10 percent that God is asking for? If I were God, maybe I would ask for more, but He only asks for 10 percent to bless the remaining. Let’s reflect on that.”

Pastor Iluyomade also urged worshippers not to adopt a lackadaisical attitude towards paying their tithes. However, he stressed the equal importance of helping the poor and needy, particularly in challenging times.

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“Ministry costs money—that’s why God said we should bring tithes so the needs of His house are met. Concerning offerings, God said everyone should give according to how He has blessed them. Naturally, the rich should give more than those with less. We must give in proportion to our prosperity,” he added.

The cleric further encouraged Christians to live holy and righteous lives, warning against neglecting these foundational aspects of faith.

During the service, two members of the church contributed ₦4 million to Bethesda Home & School for the Blind, demonstrating the spirit of generosity Pastor Iluyomade highlighted in his sermon.

The National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Archbishop Wale Oke, may not be reelected as some senior leaders of the body, among others, are accusing him of non-performance.

Oke, who was first elected into office in 2023 for a two-year term, is due for reelection in February 2025 during the biennial conference of the body.

But those who are dissatisfied with his administration say the PFN has lost the vibrancy it was noted for under the previous leadership, especially under Archbishop Benson Idahosa, Bishop Mike Okonkwo and Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, among others, and believe he should not be reelected.

PFN is the umbrella body for Pentecostal Christians in Nigeria and its members include the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) led by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Word of Life Bible Church led by Oritsejafor, Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) led by Archbishop David Oyedepo, Deeper Life Church led by Rev Kumuyi, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM) led by Pastor Olukoya, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) led by Okonkwo, Church of Mission led by the late Idahosa but is now led by his widow, Margaret, Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM) led by Rev (Mrs) Mercy Ezekiel, House on the Rock led by Pastor Paul Adefarasin, and the Sword of the Spirit led by Oke.

The Fellowship is arguable the largest Christian body in Nigeria and one of the bodies that make up the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

In fact, some analysts say 60 per cent of Nigerian Christians belong to the PFN even though CAN is made up of about five groups.

Discontent

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Discontent against the PFN leader blew open recently after one of the senior leaders of the Fellowship, Mama Margaret Idahosa, openly alleged that Oke failed to keep to promise although she said she had forgiven him.

The occasion was the 70th birthday of Oyedepo, held recently at Winners Chapel, where the Archbishop of the Church of God Mission described Oyedepo in glowing terms but ended her tribute by accusing Oke, who was seated there alongside Adeboye and wife, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, among others, of not keeping to promise.

In concluding the tribute in which she called Oyedepo an oak tree, a big elephant and a promise keeper, having fulfilled the covenant he made with her husband about 26 years ago, Mama Idahosa said: “Happy birthday to you sir, happy birthday to you ma, and happy birthday to all of us. Baba Adeboye (RCCG General Overseer), I thank you very much. Okonkwo (TREM Archbishop), I thank you very much, and Wale Oke, I have forgiven everything because he promised me and he did not come … but he is all under the lamb”.

“How much contribution of the PFN to national discourse have you heard in the last two years of the Wale Oke administration? This is a critical time in the life of Nigeria, and a crucial body like the PFN should be seen to be contributing its quota. But what have we seen?” one of the leaders said.

“When Bishop Oke took over the leadership, the PFN was vibrant. And Bishop Oke did promise to keep it vibrant as we had witnessed under Idahosa, Okonkwo, Oritsejafor.

“Today, nobody reckons with the PFN anymore because we have a leadership that is not pulling its weight. How many press statements have you seen from the PFN in two years? How many media appearances have you seen of our leadership? How many newspaper interviews? Everything about us just went into voicemail.

“Even our programmes, who attends now? Before the rot set in, high profile government were always willing to attend”.

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The PFN leader cited the case of the Lagos branch of the Fellowship which operated without leadership for about one year because the national leadership appeared to have lost control.

Meanwhile it could not be ascertained if those seeking to stop the PFN National President’s second term have zeroed-in on a particular candidate.

Source: Vanguard News