For an umpteenth time another controversy may be brewing within a section of ministers of God in Nigeria.
Accusation
Prophet Israel Oladele of Celestial Church of Christ of Genesis fame has accused her estranged godmother Prophetess Esther Abimbola Ajayi of betrayal during his time of crisis that landed him in a jail term. Prophet Oladele blew this open during a church service recently, and has gone widely viral.
The charismatic Prophet Israel who was a godson of Prophetess Esther Ajayi accused his philanthropist godmother abandoning him and his family during his trial prison travails, despite the fact that she was his mentor whom he served diligently for several years before his trial came.
He alleged that Prophet Esther Ajayi removed all connections with him on her platforms including pictures of him ministering with her in her Church, and she did not bother to check on his family during his jail days.
Prophet Israel Genesis had gone to jail over accusations of fraud in a deal gone wrong some years ago. He has since returned after his jail term.
Even though he did not mention her name, it was very clear who he was referring to. The Genesis Prophet began by saying that “the day a renowned woman leader who we used to respect removed my picture from hers was the day I realised that ‘there are mothers and there are mothers.’
“Just a mere flashing of a challenge, that mother could not check on my mother, the woman that I was the first to do prayers for before she began to call herself a servant of God. Such an attitude showed she was not a woman of God.
Prophet Israel also accused his godmother of giving an orange boy money and sponsorship, and the late comedian Baba Suwe, N10million when he was sick, but could not call his wife, and family on how they were faring during his moment of travails.
He pointed out that his godmother had faced a similar situation before which he covered up for her, warning her, he said, “She should not answer me. If she answers me it would be worse than that of king Solomon. I am seriously pained. Don’t advise me not to express myself, if you forbide me from saying it I will pray you are also jailed for what you know nothing about. If you don’t want to kill yourself don’t tell me not to say this again. It is easier said than done. Let me say what is in me.
Referring to his godmother still, he said, “I wanted to hold a programme in Ikeja, and you sent me to London, I abandoned my programme and helped you to go to London immediately. I have left all that for God. We had our harvest you could not send anyone to represent you.”
He suggested that a law should be made to shoot traitors publicly.
He also accused his godmother of trying to snatch Segun, one of his choir members. “Segun told me she invited him to join her choir. If the boy was not a good boy I wouldn’t have had him back. If I offended her she should call me and I will apologise. What pained me is betrayal.”
He also noted that his biological mother “laid down for four months praying for me. That is my Iya Adura, (Prayer Mother).”
“When everything was going on well we would see her representative if she could not come, if she would come to us, we welcome her with special chair, but when trouble came you have turned to special enemy. I too will become a special enemy to you too. Nothing annoys more than betrayal.”
He also noted what Iya Rainbow did while he was incarcerated. “She used to come to me every week, without giving me money. That is a true mother. Rather the godmother was then saying ‘I have told him.’ All I am saying is a lesson to all young ministers.”
Lanre Teriba’s Connection
Following that outburst, Lanre Teriba aka Atorise, a popular gospel musician has replied to defend Iya Adura Prophetess Esther Ajayi, asking Prophet to apologize within 24 hours or he would descend on him.
In a live video shared on Atorise’s Facebook page, Lanre Teriba told Prophet Israel that Mama Esther Ajayi did not owe him anything and that he was just being ungrateful, threatening that he was going to block Genesis on his media handle.
He said, “I have him on my phone and I’m going to block him, Mama Ajayi doesn’t owe anyone of us anything, she is our benefactor and she is old. I am not here to drag anyone down, I want to say my mind to Dele, I felt so disappointed in him, I would have called him personally to advise him because I don’t want to bring him down.’’
“Mama doesn’t owe you anything, that’s one thing we don’t know, she is a philanthropist, Dele knows Mama has helped him a lot, she prayed for you when you went to jail. I am not going to say much but I just want to give Dele 24 hours to apologize to Mama. He knows me very well, I will fight him, go to his church and fight him dirty, he knows me well.’’
‘’You can’t talk to an elderly old person like that, I don’t really understand, I know Mama cannot reply on social media but I can’t be ungrateful, Dele is ungrateful to Mama Esther Ajayi, she doesn’t owe you what you are asking for.’’
‘’I stood by you all through your trials but did you ever call me when you called artistes to come for your thanksgiving? Did I say anything about it? The person that is in jail doesn’t know who is running around for him.’’
Rev Mother Esther Ajayi’s Prayer
Also in an apparent response to Prophet Oladele’s outburst, the woman at the centre of the controversy, Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi chose to pray for her accuser for God to touch his heart and talk to him.
Rev. Mother Ajayi made the comment during a press conference saying; “I don’t keep grudges. I am like Jesus. If my son should show up here right now, I will be the first person to go and hug him. If you search all my heart, what you see outwardly is what you will find.
You will find no trace of bitterness or grudge in my blood. I pray that God will touch the heart of my son and talk to him.”
Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi said she was too busy to lose focus because she was preparing for the 15th anniversary of her ministry in London, and the one year anniversary thanksgiving of her Lagos Cathedral.
She added that numerous eminent personalities would be gracing the occasions and this would require her to focus on the task at hand instead of getting distracted.
“I am too busy a person to lose my focus. Chief Obasanjo is coming to preach in my church on Sunday…” she replied when asked to comment on Oladele’s backlash.
She rather, however, offer an intercessory prayer for him.
Legal Angle
It was also reported that a lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, had issued a strong warning to Atorise for threatening Prophet Oladele Israel Ogundipe.
Barrister Olajengbesi told the singer to desist from getting involved in the rift between the godson and his godmother Prophet Israel Oladele Ogundipe and Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi respectively.
“Lanre Teriba Atorise is advised to quickly caution himself with his nature of utterances in the dispute between Prophet Israel Ogundipe Genesis and Reverend Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi.
“He should control his emotions now, nothing under the law gives him the right to threaten anybody. A threat is a crime under the law. The law allows an aggrieved person to express himself or herself just like Genesis has done, but the law will jail a person who threatens another even if he has not carried out his threats.
“Atorise is well advised because if anything happens to Genesis negligently, Atorise has bought a case he did not pray for. The person to apologise in 24 hours is he.”
The outburst has generated different reactions from different shades of people, among which are sympathisers of the concerned parties.
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