Located
at the Vulcaniser bus-stop of Akowonjo-Egbeda road in Lagos, Kingdom of
Heaven on Earth is a church which differs totally from every other church you
must have come across.
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Investigations 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.’
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''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. 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,” a member
who pleaded not to be named declared.
''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.
''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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Although members wear white garments just like
C&S and Cele churches, the practice in KIHEM is way different from what you
will naturally expect from a white garment church. The Sun was at the church at
different times and some of the discoveries made were shocking. From the way of
life of the members, to that of the founder of the church, Christopher
Yomi Jacobs popularly called King Olutanmole of the Universe, who is in
his 60s and many more, you are bound to have your mouth wide open after reading
this.
Read below as first published by The Sun:
''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 revealed that King Olutanmole’s original name is Christopher
Yomi Jacobs and he hails from Ijebu-Ode in Ogun state.
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