Ikorodu Resident Narrates How The Deadly Cult Gang Started

 

The dreaded Badoo Cult gang has caused a lot of havoc, sending whole families to their untimely graves is a fact that keeps staring residents of the area in the face, especially as security agents have found it difficult to nip the menace in the bud.

The gang, according to security reports, not only rape their female victims, but kill their them in the most dreadful way by using stones and pestles to batter the victims head and going away with the brain and blood.

In some instances, they are also said to slice open pregnant women and making away with the foetus of the unborn baby.

A resident of the Ikorodu community, Rasheed Adedeji Fatuga, has traced the origin of the dreaded gang which he said started like child's play in July 2016 and laments the fact that a year after, the gang members and their activities are yet to be curtailed.

  This family was wiped out by the dreaded Badoo gang (Total Media)

Fatuga who posted the throwback history of the gang on the Ikorodu Ambassadors Facebook page narrated how the evil started and called on the security operatives to step up their game and restore sanity to the area.

"#Throwback to July 16, 2016, when the notorious Badoo Gang first started their nefarious activities in Ibeshe, Ikorodu.

Today's date is June 26, 2017, and their deadly actions still go on. Shame, Shame, Shame, on all concerned and constituted authorities in Ikorodu for not neutralizing this evil act up till now!

And to the beautiful people of Ikorodu, keep praying and keep watching. Be security conscious! Do not lose your guard!

#Badoo is Real. They are a Network. Alfas, Pastors might be among, even females will be among them.

Do not trust anyone; watch who you talk to and watch what you say outside!

 Members of a family murdered by the Badoo gang during their burial (Facebook)

#ProudlyIkoroduAmbassadors #SayNoToAllFormsOfViolence #Peace.

The questions Ikorodu residents want answers to are: Who is Badoo in Ikorodu? When will Badoo killings in Ikorodu end? If after a year of the activities of these ritualists or cultists in Ikorodu, and the Lagos Police still has no answers, then we are done for.

No one knows who the people behind Ikorodu killings are and where they are from! Badoo in Ikorodu 2017 makes the biggest Ikorodu breaking news.

Ikorodu crisis today, Badoo caught in Ikorodu tomorrow. The Lagos Police has to do something fast about these cultists.

Who is Badoo?

They are a bunch of faceless terror group committing outrageous crimes in Ikorodu. What they do is to visit families living in a building that isn’t fully completed or guarded by a fence.

They then use bricks and grinding mortar to hit their victims on the head, wipe their blood with a cloth and leave the scene like that.

This issue is now a big thing in Ikorodu that one cannot joke about being a ‘Badoo’. Arararo, Adamo in Ikorodu, had one of these experiences when someone falsely raised an alarm that some four people were Badoo members.

The residents pounced on the four guys immediately and they were beaten to death. It later turned out that the four guys were only land speculators.

Many other members of Badoo have been killed in Ikorodu, and one was recently apprehended with a pestle in his hand in Ibeshe, Igbogbo. Another was beaten and burnt to death in Aga, Ikorodu.

  This pastor, his wife and only son became victims of the Badoo gang (Facebook)

The latest attacks of these terrorists occurred in Ogijo. First, a pastor was hit, but he survived and receiving treatment in the hospital. At another time, a couple was killed. A few weeks ago, it was in Itamaga, a family of five, including a pregnant woman, completely annihilated.

The residents are appealing to the Lagos State Police to please do something swiftly. It is over a year, and yet, nothing concrete has been put in place for the activities of Badoo to end."

The big question on the lips of residents of Ikorodu and other Lagosians is this: when will the police clamp down on these deadly gang?

The Heroic Story of Oluwaseun Talabi in Grenfell Tower

 

On June 14, 2017, fire engulfed Grenfell Tower in London killing at least 79 people.

British citizen Oluwaseun Talabi (who is of Nigerian descent) could have been one of the victims if not for his heroic deed. He not only saved his life but that of his girlfriend and daughter.

"Basically I was lying in the bed with my daughter and my girlfriend" said Talabi to 5 News.

"I have always been paranoid about that block anyway. So I just heard fire, fire, fire and I got up and I woke everyone else up. And everyone wore their clothes and everything and had to run out of the door but as soon as I opened the door, all I could see was the smoke so we ran back in" he further said.

At least 79 people are known to have died or are missing and presumed dead in the Grenfell Tower inferno in west London
(AFP/File)

Talabi looked outside the window of his apartment but he was told to wait for help. As the fire intensified, Oluwaseun Talabi took matters into his own hands. He took 14-bed sheets and tied them together.

His plan to climb down the building using the sheets didn't work because his daughter was afraid. Oluwaseun Talabi then tied his daughter on his back, held his girlfriend and ran down the stairs as flames threatened to burn them up. 

His heroic move got him a lot of adoration especially from his girlfriend's brother who goes by the name Lordie on Twitter.

Lordie who is the CEO of the Grime Report got a tattoo of  Oluwaseun Talabi's name on his back. The tattoo says "Seun thank you."

"Just got something for my muthafucking Hero, Seun who saved my Sis & my niece.  I owe him everything" tweeted Lordie.

Weekly Best Sellers Are In! Watches, Shoes And Mobile Phones Under 10k!

Kenneth Hagin Ministries (Two Words: Endless Gratitude)

We're Thankful

 

Sometimes heroes aren't always seen. At times, they are behind the scenes. Rhema Word Partners and friends are heroes in the world. They are making an impact in people's lives everywhere.

Their prayers and financial support make it possible for Kenneth Hagin Ministries to spread the Good News around the globe. We are able to print the Word of Faith magazine, preach the Gospel at Living Faith Crusades, publish Faith Library Publications books, CDs, and MP3s, and air the Rhema Praise broadcast program, along with many other ministry outreaches.
 

Here are some testimonies of people that have been touched because of Rhema Word Partners.

"Our daughter was prayed for at a Living Faith Crusade in Tennessee by Kenneth W. Hagin. She is bipolar. She is now able to work and will soon be able to get a place to live. She wasn’t able to do that for four years. Praise God!" —D.W.

"There have been times I’ve wanted to give up on life. But I've listened to a Hagin CD or read a Hagin book, and my faith rises up. Thank you!" —D.C.

"Thank you for the Word of Faith magazine. I cherish it every month. It is without a doubt the best monthly publication available. It is very informative, easy to understand and it's information that can be applied at once." —R. L.

Jesus told us to "give the Good News to everyone" (Mark 16:15 BBE). We couldn't spread the Gospel without the support of others. The lives and eternal destiny of men and women around the globe have been forever changed. Thank you, Rhema Word Partners and friends, for being our partners.
 

Become a Rhema Word Partner

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Governor Threatens To Expose Buhari, Says President Is On Life Support Machine

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state has threatened to tell Nigerians where President Buhari is receiving treatment in London.

According to Punch, Fayose also alleged that the President has been on a life support machine since June 6, 2017.

The Ekiti state Governor also called on Buhari’s media team to tell Nigerians the truth, adding that the audio broadcast was a fake.

Fayose, who told newsmen that the President is suffering from a voice impairment, said the Sallah broadcast was used to deceive Nigerians.

He also said that the First Lady, Aisha Buhari was not allowed to see Buhari during her last visit to London.

The Governor said “Today, it makes 53 days since our president left Nigeria to attend to his health challenges abroad. No official information as to his whereabouts and his state of health.

“Like every other Nigerians, I do not wish the president dead, I have therefore maintained dignified silence since we were told that the president embarked on his second medical trip abroad this year.

“However, the recorded audio message which was released by the Presidency as the president’s Ramadan message to Nigerians necessitated my setting the records straight today.

“The audio message does not represent the truth as our President does not only have voice impairment, he has been on life-support since June 6, 2017, at a West-End, London Hospital.”

“Only three Nigerians who are of the president’s cabal are allowed access to the president. I will keep their identities for now.

“Anyone with contrary claim should produce the president to Nigerians within the next 48 hours. I want to say emphatically that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has not spoken to the president in the last one month. I expect him to prove me wrong,” he added.

Governor Ayo Fayose recently declared his intention to run for President in 2019.

PULSE

Religion on the Rise!

 

Ever hear the old saw that religious people are on the wrong side of history? It isn't true. Turns out, we're on the right side of the future as well.

 

A year ago, National Geographic told readers that "religion is rapidly becoming less important than it's ever been, even to people who live in countries where faith has affected everything from rulers to borders to architecture."

But as Rodney Stark documented in his recent book, The Triumph of Faith, that statement is wrong. In fact, it's the opposite of the truth. According to Stark, "The world is not merely as religious as it used to be. In important ways, it is much more intensely religious than ever before . . ."

Experiencing Jesus: A Very Private Moment

I've been reading the book of Genesis lately and the story of Joseph is a fascinating one.

Unjustly despised by his brothers and secretly sold to a band of merchantmen, Joseph was taken into Egypt and made a slave. Later he would be wrongly accused by his master's wife of sexual assault, and, though he was innocent, imprisoned. Eventually, he was vindicated and released and in the providence of God raised to the position of vice-regent in Egypt.

When a famine swept the land, his treacherous brothers were forced to go into Egypt to buy food and were confronted unawares by Joseph. They had not seen him for several years and didn't recognize him. Moreover, Joseph purposely hid his identity from them until he would choose the right time to reveal himself.
I think it's interesting that the time of Joseph's disclosure to his brothers was a private one.

The Scriptures say, "Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brethren" (Gen. 54:1).

Joseph then manifested his true identity, reached out in a spirit of reconciliation, and forgave his brothers their grievous trespasses against him. As one commentator has described it, Joseph demonstrated a "love stooping, a love conquering." The Bible says that Joseph kissed them and they all fell upon his neck and wept in true remorse for what they had done to Joseph.

Joseph is a type of Christ and the revelation of Christ to the soul is perhaps the most private of experiences.
Christianity is not simply the truth, an institution, a philosophy, or a code of ethics; although in one sense, it is all of these things. It is, however, more importantly, and fundamentally, a Divine, living, and loving Person.
At the heart of a genuine Christian faith is that very private moment when we are confronted in our spiritually treacherous ways by the Savior, Jesus Christ. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, it was very personal and rather than being reproached by him, they experienced his splendid magnanimity and consequentially reproached themselves. It is the same when Christ reveals himself to us. We discover him that is full of grace and mercy. We see that He loves us. We see that he wants to embrace us. He wants to forgive us and be reconciled, despite the severity of our sins against him.

Have you ever experienced such a private moment with God in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ?
Of course, if you have, then you know that although a personal experience with the Savior is a private one, our newfound relationship with him can never be a secret. Joseph saved his brothers when he could have justly destroyed them. They owed him everything. It is for us to go far and near with this same message that our Lord is willing to reveal himself and receive all that come unto him by Christ.

Christian Converts in India Beaten for Refusing to Worship Hindu Gods

 

People in India have been converting to Christianity following what has been described as miraculous healings done in the name of Jesus, persecution watchdog group Open Doors has said.

These Christians have remained devoted to their new faith in Jesus, despite enduring immense pressure from radicals who beat them for refusing to worship Hindu gods.

Open Doors shared the stories of several Christians from India on Monday, with one man, identified as Sohan, describing what happened to him after he and others in his village decided to follow Christ: "The villagers crowded around us and started punching and kicking us, all over our bodies. They asked us to praise Hindu gods and goddesses. We refused. They kicked us harder."

Sohan was accused by the radicals of converting people to Christianity, which is against the law in five of India's states.

He said that despite his fear of being arrested, which led to him spending four days in jail, he prayed to God, and saw those prayers answered.

"I preached the Gospel and prayed for an inmate who was sick. He was healed and believed in Christ instantly. My other cell mate was a person suffering from intense depression. He kept saying that he wanted to kill himself. I prayed for him and the suicidal thoughts left him. He also accepted Christ," Sohan revealed.

He added: "The third person I met was a young man falsely accused of raping a woman. He also used to remain very upset and felt hopeless about his life. I shared the Gospel with him, and he also accepted Christ inside the prison. This way I saw God's immense power and deliverance."

Open Doors, which monitors and provides relief to persecuted Christians around the world, was able, along with its partners, to bail out Sohan, who has reportedly returned to his village, which wasn't named, and lives among the people who attacked him and had him arrested.

"I suffered with many physical ailments and financial troubles before I became a Christian. Now I have freedom from all those problems and have a new life. This new life I will live only for Him, even if it includes persecution," Sohan said of his experience.

"I give thanks to your organization for your help."

Another Christian, identified as Mohan, said that while he was still a Hindu, his family prayed to Hindu gods and sacrificed animals in the hopes of healing his sick father.

One day a Christian villager advised that they start praying to Jesus instead.

"When we did, my father was healed. There was no more sickness in my family. Of course, we followed Jesus after that. To be honest, we never anticipated resistance," Mohan revealed.

His fellow villagers were angry when they saw that the family was happy and healthy and following Jesus, and told them to leave their home. Mohan's family refused, however, and for the past 10 years they've faced constant discrimination and attacks.

"Fifteen men came to their house, tied his parents' hands behind their backs, and forced them to stand in a pool of water up to their shoulders until Mohan's brothers could pay for their release. The couple were kept like this for 17 hours," Open Doors said.

"When Mohan got married, local people forced him and his wife to take part in a Hindu marriage ceremony, and would not allow them to perform a Christian wedding. When Mohan's father died, their Hindu relatives wouldn't allow him to be buried in the village; Mohan's family had to bury him in the jungle."

Open Doors says it has been helping people like Mohan's family recover and pay for medical expenses, and asked for Christians to pray and help support efforts reaching out to persecuted people in India.

There have been several recent reports of Hindu radicals attempting to convert Christians back to Hinduism.
International Christian Concern, another watchdog group, reported back in May that as many as 15 Christian families were forced to undergo such reconversion ceremonies in the Junwani village of Chhattisgarh over Easter.

"They can stop me from going to church but they cannot take Jesus from my heart. I will find ways and secretly come to church," one Christian who was forcefully reconverted told a local pastor at the time.

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Should I Give My Kid a Smartphone?

I got this email today. I get this at least once a month, so thought I would just post it (and note, this is exactly what was written):

"My 11-year old daughter wants a phone and my Ex-wife wants her to get one.
Only 26% of kids her age have one and they're mostly all rich kids in Orange County.
I wanna find ways to protect her from seeing big c*cks as much as possible.
Help me Craig!"

(Photo: Facebook/Craig Gross)Pastor Craig Gross of XXXchurch.com

Here is my response to this email and so many others.
It's also what I have done with my kids, who are 11 and 14 years old:

1. First of all, if you are worried about your kids having an emergency and not having a phone, then head down to Walmart or 7-Eleven and get a pay as you go flip phone. Those will work great if your kids need to call you.

You can't use the "My kids needs a smartphone" line because of emergencies.
Not needed.

2. If you want to get your kids an iPhone or Android, don't ever give it to your pre-teen or better yet 9-year old out of the box as it comes from the store.

3. Don't give your kids a device you are unfamiliar with and don't know how to use yourself.

4. Don't allow your kids to play an app, watch a movie or binge on a show on Netflix that you are unfamiliar or unaware of.

5. Parents still must be parents and that is a hard one, I know.
Most parents are clueless and cave into the pressure from their kids. Then kids get into trouble on devices because they are acting like kids, but playing with devices designed for adults.

6. A lot of parents have an old iPhone 4 or 5 sitting in their junk drawer and when the times comes will give that one to their kid. That is an okay idea, but you need to keep reading.

iPhones and Androids have parental control settings built into the phone.
Use these before you try and buy an app or search for another option. The best options are now built into the phone.

For iPhones head to Settings -> General -> Restrictions and then enable restrictions with a four digit passcode that you don't give to your kid. This puts you in charge.
Both my kids have phones and have these restrictions:

– I have turned Safari OFF – I don't need or want them searching the web or wasting time online with their phone. They can use the computer at home to do that.

– Installing Apps turned OFF – I don't allow them access to the iTunes store to purchase or get free waste-of-time apps. If they want something, I look at it and if I allow, I will enter the passcode and download.

My rule is they can have productive apps but only 3 games on their phones. I am not going to have my kids playing games on a phone all day. I can't stand grown men and women playing candy crush or words with friends on their devices all day long. WASTE OF TIME!

Whenever I board a plane with my kids, I have them look at the first class section and ask them to find a person in the first class that is on their phone playing games. Never. Successful people today don't waste time playing these games.

Go to the middle seat in the back of the plane and see that dude who is 35 playing some Game of War game. I don't want my kids to be that guy/girl. It's not about the money you make, but the time you waste with your life. Worse than that, people on their phones all day long can't talk to people in person.
I don't need my kids growing up with their heads in a screen and not experiencing the life and people in front of them.

I wrote some more reasons why I don't let my kids play on their phones when their friends are over here. You can read that HERE.

– Deleting Apps turned OFF – I don't let my kids delete things on their phones. This applies to text messages, emails, and apps. This is more of a life lesson for kids online.

Snapchat and Instagram stories tell you things delete in 24 hours, but ask Draymond Green if you can still see his penis online? The internet keeps a history, and so does your Ex-boyfriend or future employers. Everything you do online doesn't disappear. Even Hillary Clinton couldn't delete her emails forever yet kids are growing up thinking things they do will just disappear or be deleted. That kind of thinking is the furthermost thing from the truth.

If my kids send a text message or email to a friend, my kids know that they better be okay with the whole school seeing it because nothing is private.

– No Social Media apps on their phones – This could be old school. That's okay. I don't need my kids on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or anything else right now on their phones. Over time I will loosen up there, but how many stories do I hear every day of kids and adults making stupid decisions on social and wasting a ton of time?

If my kids want to get on social, they do it on my phone. I also am aware of who they follow and activities on their accounts. When we are on a trip, I will allow my 14-year old to download and post updates and I have started to allow more access to Instagram with him at the house.

As far as your home goes. There is one device I recommend to anyone with kids still at home. It is called CIRCLE. You can read all about it HERE. It will cost you a one-time fee of $99 and it is amazing!
Last thing, Check out www.xxxchurch.com/parents. You can get a free book I wrote called Touchy Subjects and read more about things you might not know anything about. If you are a pastor and want to host a parents night at your church, we have a free video available for download HERE.
That's all I've got!

Don't get overwhelmed, it's all doable, you just have to be willing to jump in.
– Craig
Originally posted at xxxchurch.com.

Hollywood Loses Out by Often Ignoring Family and Faith Audience

Why was the Golden Era of Hollywood (as seen in the quality of movies) way back in the 1930s and 40s? It was because of the salt from the Church, both Catholic and Protestant, influencing the outcome of the content. So the writers had to be clever. The actors couldn't swear, yet they could act out their frustrations in such ways that the idea of swearing was conveyed.

Dr. Jerry Newcombe is a key archivist of the D. James Kennedy Legacy Library, a spokesman and cohost of Kennedy Classics.

From the 1930s until the 1960s, the Motion Picture Production Code, through influence of Catholic and Protestant leaders and offices they had in Hollywood, provided a type of salt — keeping the movies from going too far. Dr. Ted Baehr, the go-to guy when it comes to movies from a biblical perspective, says they "worked behind the scenes to make sure that the movie industry represented the concerns of the vast majority of the public."

Two movies with Christian themes or sub-themes were the Movies-of-the-Year, respectively in 1965 and 1966, "The Sound of Music" and "A Man for All Seasons." Both were rated G. But then the church pulled out its influence in Hollywood; and by 1969, the first X-rated movie won the Oscar for best picture, "Midnight Cowboy."

As the films got progressively dirtier, tens of millions of Americans left the theaters in droves.
Today, Sony is trying to offer consumers toned-down versions of movies that contain raunchy moments so that they will be more acceptable as family entertainment. And some in Hollywood are screaming bloody murder.

Hollywoodreporter.com (6/13/17) noted, "Sony's sanitized initiative faces growing opposition." For instance, they quoted film maker Judd Apatow, who said, "Shove the clean versions up your [expletive]!"
Obviously, I don't agree with Apatow. What a great idea. This could win back many potential viewers.

I asked Ted Baehr, who is the publisher of Movieguide, about this. He told me, "I can't recommend all of these movies, even if edited, due to dangerous or anti-Christian messages inherent in the story, so please still read the reviews. That said, Movieguide commends Sony for taking the step in the right direction of providing families with safe entertainment."

Indeed, some movies would need more than a few edits to make them acceptable to a family audience. They could not be redeemed for a redeemed audience by just a few edits. The television versions of certain films, which is essentially what Sony is offering, are still quite objectionable.

However, how many times have you seen a movie and realized you liked it, but you think, "Why did they have to have all that swearing in it?" Those who make such films seem to have no idea how offensive it is to millions of people to hear God's name used in vain, repeatedly no less. God Almighty has said He will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Jesus pointed out that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

I remember when I saw and enjoyed the Coen Brothers' wacky film (but I repeat myself), "O, Brother, Where Art Thou?," which includes a lot of classic Southern Gospel music. I saw it on an airplane and enjoyed it immensely.

Then I dragged my parents and wife to attend the film in a movie theater, and I was shocked. Where did all that needless swearing come from? The holy name of Jesus was misused, as if it means nothing — although the truth is, every beat of every one's heart is by the grace of Jesus.

Ted Baehr said on my radio show recently: "We look at all the [swearing], the violence, the sex; and we say [to film executives], 'This is how much it costs you in the box office. For instance, there are no R-rated films in the top ten films last year. There are no films with the F-word. It just doesn't happen. And in the top 25 films, there are no films having [gratuitous] sex or violence."

Baehr adds, "We've got people that are voting at the box office for the good, the true, and the beautiful .... The studios know it, and they like to make more money. But when you suggest taking out one F-word, because sometimes these movies have only one F-word or one bad scene, and they go bonkers .... And this is incredible to me...that people confuse their artistic ability with the libertine license to poke their fingers into people's eyes."

I welcome what Sony is attempting to do, and I would hope producers would see the light. If nothing else, they could see greater financial profits and wider markets for their films.

Hey, Hollywood, stop ignoring the desires of "flyover country." You could have a lot more customers that way — plus you could help minimize the moral pollution that plagues our world.

Jerry Newcombe, D.Min., is an on-air host/senior producer for D. James Kennedy Ministries. He has written/co-written 26 books, including The Book That Made America, Doubting Thomas (w/ Mark Beliles, on Jefferson), What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (w/ D. James Kennedy) & George Washington's Sacred Fire (w/ Peter Lillback). djameskennedy.org @newcombejerry

The Faith of George HW Bush

George H. W. Bush recently celebrated his 93^rd birthday. In four and half months, he is on course to surpass Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford as the former president who lived the longest. His son George W. is much better known for his religious convictions, but the senior Bush has a very strong faith as well, which significantly shaped his character and policies as president.

Bush was raised by devout Episcopalian parents and remained affiliated with this denomination almost his entire life. His father Prescott, a Republican senator from Connecticut, and his mother Dorothy led family worship every morning, using readings from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and A Diary of Private Prayer by Scottish Presbyterian theologian John Baillie. They strove to teach their children how the Bible applied to daily life. While worshipping for many years at Episcopal churches in Houston, Washington, and Kennebunkport, Maine, Bush's theology and social policies have more in common with evangelicals than with many fellow Episcopalians.

While flying a combat mission for the Navy in September 1944, Bush's plane was severely damaged on a bombing mission, forcing him to parachute into the Pacific Ocean south of Japan. The Japanese hunted him, but a U.S. submarine picked him up. Bush thanked God for saving his life and asked, "Why had I been spared and what did God have for me?"

Their three-year-old daughter Robin's battle with and eventual death from leukemia in the early 1950s both tested and deepened Bush's faith. He declared that "prayer had always been part" of his and his wife Barbara's lives, but it became more fervent during this ordeal. "Our faith," Bush testified, "truly sustained us."
Bush saw God as active and all-powerful and the Bible as divinely inspired and authoritative. "One cannot be America's President," the Republican frequently asserted, without "the strength that your faith gives to you." The Bible, which had helped shape America's values and institutions, Bush attested, "has always been a great source of comfort to me." He affirmed that Jesus was God's divine Son and frequently referred to Christ as "our Savior." Moreover, Bush peppered his speeches with biblical quotations, precepts, and stories to underscore his positions.

Bush began his 1989 inaugural address by praying, "Heavenly Father, we ... thank You for Your love." Strengthen us "to do Your work." Make us "willing to heed and hear Your will, and write on our hearts these words: 'Use power to help people.'" Bush's cabinet meetings always began with prayer. The Bushes prayed together every night before going to sleep. "My husband," Barbara declared, "prays and believes enormously." During his presidency, Bush referred to prayer in 220 different speeches, proclamations, and remarks. In hundreds of letters Bush thanked citizens for praying for him and testified that he drew "great strength" from their prayers.

Bush continually exhorted Americans to seek God's aid in dealing with the nation's problems. No other chief executive asserted as often as he did that the United States was "one nation under God" and accountable to Him. God, the Texan averred, placed Americans on Earth "to do His work." "Without God's help," he declared, "we can do nothing," but "with it, we can do great things." As president, he wrote dozens of letters assuring Americans that God would help them cope with the challenges of life.

Bush repeatedly insisted that both individuals and nations should adhere to transcendent moral norms and that America was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles. Government, he argued, had a limited, but important, role to play in promoting the common good and remedying social ills. "It is very important," Bush declared, "to follow the teachings of our Heavenly Father in carrying out the responsibilities of government." The federal government, he insisted, could not remedy America's many social ills by itself. Alleviating them also required the active efforts of local governments, parents, teachers, businesses, and churches.

While Bush's faith helped shape many of his policies, it was perhaps most evident in his Thousand Points of Light Initiative. In more than 500 speeches and public statements, Bush urged Americans to increase their personal efforts and financial contributions to aid the less fortunate. Service to others, Bush asserted, advanced Christ's mission. He beseeched Americans to emulate "the selfless spirit of giving that Jesus embodied." Bush strove to create a society where serving others became "part of everyone's everyday thinking." His Points of Light initiative did help significantly boost volunteerism. Individuals logged millions of hours helping needy individuals during Bush's four years in office, and almost 25 years after Bush left office, Points of Light "is the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service."

Many have testified to Bush's staunch Christian commitment. Thomas Bagley, the rector of St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston to which Bush long belonged, declared that he "would not ever do anything he thought to be contrary to our Lord and Master." In 1989, four Methodist bishops applauded the Republican's "strong Christian faith" and "devotion to the church." In naming Bush and his wife Barbara "Episcopalians of the Year" in 1991, The Anglican Digest praised the president's "strong spiritual leadership" and "commitment to Christ and His Church." The head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes wrote Bush in 1991: "your faithfulness as a prayer warrior became so evident during Desert Storm as you led our nation to trust in God.

Motivated by his faith, Bush has been an exemplary Point of Light who energetically and effectively served God and millions around the world through his presidency and other political roles for five decades.

Dr. Gary Scott Smith is the retired chair of the history department at Grove City College and is a fellow for faith and politics with The Center for Vision & Values. He is the author of "Suffer the Children" (2017), "Religion in the Oval Office" (Oxford University Press, 2015), "Faith and the Presidency From George Washington to George W. Bush" (Oxford University Press, 2009), "Religion in the Oval Office" and "Heaven in the American Imagination" (Oxford University Press, 2011).

Christian Slam 'Obnoxious' Curriculum Change In Schools That Force Islamic Studies

 

 The Christian Association of Nigeria has slammed what it called an "obnoxious" recent change to the curriculum at secondary schools, which essentially eliminated Christian education classes and replaced them with Islamic Arabic Studies.

 

CAN Chairman Dr. Samson Ayokunle pointed out last week that the new curriculum removes Christian Religious Knowledge and relegates it to themes in civic education, while pupils will be given a choice to study either Islamic Arabic Studies or French.

 

As French teachers are "more or less non-existent in secondary schools," Christian and other students will have no choice but to settle for Islamic Arabic Studies, Ayokunle said, as reported by This Day Live.
CAN met with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last week, Daily Post reported, expressed its concerns.

"We are here to point your attention to a time-bomb, obnoxious, divisive and ungodly secondary school curriculum that the Federal Ministry of Education is introducing into our schools and of which we had earlier complained to the Presidency," CAN declared.

"As prophets to the nation, we demand a complete withdraw[al] and ban of this curriculum. If allowed to be implemented, it would lead us to a godless nation with violence and all forms of ungodliness as the order of the day," the organization warned.

The Christian organization said that the curriculum was the "brain-child of Nigerian Educational Research Council," and said that it will not do anyone any good.

CAN warned that despite promises from the government, Christians, who make up roughly half the population in the country, continue suffering numerous attacks at the hands of Islamic radicals, both from the Boko Haram terrorist group and the separate Fulani herdsmen.

Premium Times Nigeria reported in February that close to 100,000 people, both Muslims and Christians, have been killed by Boko Haram since 2009 in its ongoing quest to eradicate Christianity from the country, which has also displaced over two million citizens.

While the Nigerian army has been reporting gains made against the Islamic radicals over the past year, the Fulani herdsmen extremists have in turn been increasing their attacks.

"Killing and maiming of farmers continue in Benue, Enugu, Abraka in Delta State just to mention a few," CAN said of the Fulani attacks.

"The most painful thing is that we are seeing their victims without the seriousness from the law enforcement agents to arrest and successfully prosecute the murderous herdsmen. This has encouraged them to continue in their killing and kidnapping spree with reckless abandon."

CAN raised other issues as well, such as the high rate of unemployment among youths, and called on the government to create an investment friendly environment that would allow millions of Nigerian youths to find jobs.

After More Than 20 Years as Conservative Leader, Paul Williams Comes Out as Transwoman

Paul Williams, who led the conservative church planting organization Orchard Group for 20 years, has publicly come out as a transgender woman named Paula Stone Williams.

Williams began his work with Orchard Group in 1979 and became the president and chairman of the group in 1989, driven by a "simple statement of faith."

"These convictions have been passed down by each generation of leaders. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, we continue to affirm the following: The inspiration and authority of the whole Bible (Old and New Testament) as the revelation of God by the Holy Spirit," the organization declares in part on their website.

Behind closed doors, however, Paul was beginning to embrace a different life as Paula.
Paul's 40-year-old son, Jonathan Williams, pastor of Forefront Brooklyn, a new church started with help from Orchard Group, told The New York Times that his father told him in December 2012, a year before he retired, that he wanted to live life as a woman.

"She said transgender," Jonathan said, referring to his father.

"I was relieved for a split second, not really knowing or understanding what it was," he further explained. "This was before Caitlyn Jenner or 'Transparent.' Then within minutes, going: 'Oh, wait a second — wait a second. This is a way bigger deal. I would rather you be gay or be splitting up from Mom.' It was this weird wave of emotion. We had a church Christmas party that night, so I get this information and I have to go to the church Christmas party and pretend everything's O.K. I drank too much and did my best to put on a happy face, but it was pretty brutal."

It was also a difficult secret to keep, Jonathan explained.

"I couldn't say anything to anyone," he told The Times. "Here I am going, 'Let's be authentic, let's be a community that loves one another,' and I'm not being authentic. I'm not telling people what's going on in my life.

"I'd be upstairs crying before church. Like, this is miserable. My dad was my hero, and my dad's not my dad any longer. I'd stop crying and come down and I'd preach and be really glad and say hi to everybody, and then I'd get home and go to sleep. My wife would be like, 'You're super depressed,' and I'd go, 'I know, I'm super depressed, I don't know what to do about this.' I got counseling about three months after I found out. And I went to him for three, four years dealing with it."

When Paul Williams told his secret to Orchard Group in 2013, they demanded that he resign immediately.
In early 2014, Orchard Group said in a short announcement that Paul had "retired quietly" in 2013.
"Paul Williams gave vital leadership to Orchard Group for decades, including serving as President from 1989 until 2009 .... On December 31, 2013, Paul retired quietly from Orchard Group. The Orchard Group board, staff and extended church planting family wish Paul and Cathy (his wife) God's best as they step into the future," the announcement said.

On Friday, after The New York Times profile about his father's transition was published, Jonathan appeared more settled and supportive.

"I rarely talk about my dad's transition publicly but decided it's time to share this story. I'd be lying if I said that the past couple of years have been easy. Even though it's been a tough process for my family I choose to stand on the side of love and acceptance for my father and so many others," Jonathan wrote on his Facebook page.

As Paula, the former conservative leader says he is going public with his story at this time because he wants to save at-risk Christian transgender teenagers.

"Lives are at stake," Paula stated this month.

"I will never forget the transgender teen who talked with me after I spoke at my first public event, a PFLAG conference in Boulder. The boy's name was Nicholas, and we realized we had been in court on the same day, when our names were legally changed. His parents were incredibly supportive, unlike the parents of Leelah Alcorn, who ended her life on the very same day Nicholas and I changed our names. Leelah's unsupportive parents attended a church that taught them not to accept their daughter's gender. It cost them their daughter," Paula said.

"Transgender teens with unsupportive parents have a suicide rate 13 times higher than their peers. They are the most at risk group in the nation. Most of those unsupportive parents are Evangelicals.

"I have been in personal contact with thousands of LGBTQ individuals and their families from seven countries on four continents. Almost without exception these souls are Christians who have been ostracized from their churches and/or families. They always ask the same painful question, 'What do I do now?' I feel the weight of the responsibility. In my previous work, I hoped to save people from spiritual suffering. In my current work, I hope to save people from dying."

Paula went on to state: "I do not care about their (evangelicals') brand of orthodoxy."

"I have no interest in debating it. It is of little interest to me. However, I do care about their orthopraxy, how they practice the Christian faith. I find it lacking. I find any religion lacking that leads with judgment instead of leading with acceptance and love."

When asked to comment on Paula going public, Brent Storms, who became president of Orchard Group after Paul Williams stepped down, declined commenting on Monday.

"We declined multiple requests from The NY Times to comment regarding their recent article. We intend to continue to do so with future requests, as well," he said.

Actor Hill Harper Says God Told Him to Adopt a Child, Now Calls Son His 'Biggest Blessing'

Hill Harper thought he would be married before having children, but the Christian actor believes God recently told him to adopt a son.

This week, the actor who's gearing up to star in the film "An Interview With God," spoke to People magazine about becoming a father to an 18-month-old baby boy he recently adopted and named Pierce Hill Harper. The 51-year-old actor and best-selling author said he initially only planned to have a child after marriage.

However, things changed when a friend convinced him to consider adoption. Looking back, Harper believes God told him to pursue adoption.

"For years, I always wanted to be a parent. I thought, you know, you get married, you have kids," Harper told People. "I really felt like it was God telling me to do it and I'm so glad that He chose me, and [Pierce's mom]."

When he decided to look into adoption, Harper contacted an adoption attorney who directed him toward a woman who was looking for adoptive parents. Although the initial thought of adoption scared him, Harper said becoming a father was the best decision of his life.

"I was so scared I think because it was such a huge decision. But looking back now, all the fears I had were ridiculously small compared to the joy of having him in my life and having the opportunity to be a father," he told People. "[Adopting Pierce] was the greatest decision I've ever made and I've never been happier."
In an interview with "Good Morning America" on Friday, Harper also spoke about the blessing of fatherhood.

"It's the biggest blessing of my life," Harper said. "The biggest role, and certainly the biggest blessing."
Aside from acting in films like "All Eyez on Me" and hit television shows like "Homeland," Harper visits various churches and faith-based conferences throughout the country as a motivational speaker. Last year, the Harvard Law School alum who has authored books like Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope, and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones, served as a keynote speaker for Bishop T.D. Jakes' Texas Offender Reentry Initiative graduation ceremony.

The program created by Jakes has given thousands of ex-convicts the tools to become better integrated into society. As the keynote speaker trying to motivate graduates of Jakes' initiative known by the acronym T.O.R.I, Harper urged those graduating from the program to put God first.

"I will not allow fear to stop me from making the choices that I know I can make. Instead, I will act with my heart, with courage, with energy, with a plan," Hill told the audience to repeat. "Put God first. I will win in my life and in so doing, give others permission to win as well!"

Evangelical Groups to Trump: Don't Deport Iraqi Christians

A group of evangelical Christian organizations and others have sent a letter to the Trump administration in protest of the potential deportation of Iraqi Christians from the United States.

Evangelical leaders, including Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference President Samuel Rodriguez, and National Association for Evangelicals President Leith Anderson, signed a Monday letter from the Evangelical Immigration Table to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.

"We write urgently and with grave concern that Christians will be removed from the United States to face potential persecution, and even death, in the Middle East," reads the letter.

"Recent reports ... indicate that a number of these Chaldean Christians face an immediate threat of deportation back to Iraq, a country where, as a result of their faith, they are likely to face oppression, persecution, and possibly even death at the hands of extremists."

(Photo: Reuters/Tom Mihalek)A demonstrator holds a sign to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning refugees and immigrants from seven primarily Muslim countries from entering the United States during a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. February 4, 2017

The letter went on to appeal to President Donald Trump's recent efforts to advance religious liberty at home and abroad.

"To that end, we would ask that the Administration exercise the discretion available under law to defer the deportation of Chaldeans who pose no threat to U.S. public safety to Iraq until such time as the situation in Iraq stabilizes and its government proves willing and capable of protecting the rights of religious minorities," continued the letter.

"We would urge you to take the same approach to any individual, regardless of whether they share our Christian faith or not, who does not pose a threat to the safety of Americans and for whom deportation would be likely to result in persecution, torture, or death."

Other signatories of the letter were Shirley V. Hoogstra, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief; Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent Emerita of The Wesleyan Church; and Hyepin Im, president & CEO of Korean Churches for Community Development.

The Evangelical Immigration Table is a diverse coalition of evangelical groups and leaders who seek to advance a biblically-centered immigration reform plan.

Last week Reuters reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had arrested and were planning to deport about 200 Iraqi Christians, mostly living in the Detroit area.

"The actions came as part of the Trump administration's push to increase immigration enforcement and make countries, which have resisted in the past, take back nationals ordered deported from the United States," reported Reuters.

"The overwhelming majority of those arrested had criminal convictions for crimes including murder, rape, assault, kidnapping, burglary, drug trafficking, weapons violations and other offenses ..."
Aside from the letter, Moore also tweeted his objection to the plan to deport the Iraqi Christians, stating on the social media site Twitter that it is " wrong, wrong, wrong" and a "death sentence" to those expected to be deported.

Criticism also came from at least one evangelical supporter of President Trump — the Rev. Franklin Graham, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

"I find it very disturbing what I have read about Chaldean Christians being rounded up by U.S. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for possible deportation. I would encourage the president to have someone investigate these cases thoroughly," Graham said on Facebook last week.

"I understand a policy of deporting people who are here illegally and have broken the law. I don't know all of the details, but I would encourage our president to give great consideration to the threat to lives of Christians in countries like Iraq."

Woman Claims Televangelist Juanita Bynum's Cousin Abandoned Marriage After She Got Cancer

A woman who said she waited all her life to marry then took the plunge after controversial televangelist Juanita Bynum introduced her first cousin to the woman as her "God sent" husband is now crying foul after the preacher's cousin allegedly abandoned her in January while she was going through treatment for cancer.

In a Facebook Live video last Friday, Mikko Dooley, a famous hairdresser and educator from Chicago, Illinois, revealed her heartbreak, alleging that she was attacked by Bynum's social media supporters known as "bumblebees" and family members for going public about her experience with the televangelist.

"I got Janice Bynum (televangelist's sister) calling me 2, 3 o'clock in the morning. I got her daughter attacking me online all day. I got people from the church in New York that want to attack me. I got people that's wishing death on me and telling me 'you don't touch the anointed, you don't touch the prophetess.' No!" Dooley said. "The prophetess shouldn't have touched Ms. Mikko."

"If you knew the teacher of your child's grade was a rapist would you allow that child to go to the school? See a lot of us are just too quiet and don't want to tell the truth and a lot of us are afraid to hear the truth and a lot of us are going to feel disheartened and a lot of us are going to feel hurt when we hear stories of people being human. I'm not afraid of Dr. Juanita Bynum. I'm not afraid of the crew," she added.

According to blogger Demajio, Dooley explained to him that "Juanita Bynum presented her cousin to Mikko to marry and said that God sent him to her!"

"I'm married to this lady's cousin, I haven't heard from this man since January 29th. The whole family ... believes in God. But where was my husband when I had cancer. Where was my husband when I had cancer? Where was my husband when I had to go through surgery? He was flown outta here January 29th and I haven't heard from him or seen from him since. So when some of y'all talk you don't know the story behind the story. You don't know what's really going on," Dooley lamented Friday.

It is unclear when exactly Dooley got married to Bynum's cousin but she was not happy that the marital bliss she waited to experience her whole life has turned into a nightmare.

"I waited my whole life to get married and I thought I was following God's word. That's my bad ... It was my fault to allow all of this buffoonery to come into my life. I should have known better but it happens to the best of us," she added while showing her wedding ring.

The Christian Post reached out to Juanita Bynum's ministries in both Georgia and New York for comment on Monday but both ministries were not accepting calls at the time they were contacted. In a video posted by Bynum on YouTube in January, the televangelist featured Dooley's story on her show but no reference was made to a deeper connection.

Dooley, who has more than 34,000 followers on Facebook, explained to Demajio that she met Bynum after suffering a hack on her bank account and other personal issues.

"Once Juanita Bynum saw her influence and her audience she took advantage of that. She took advantage of that in a great way! She got in touch with her and flew Mikko out to where she was at a conference," the blogger noted.

Bynum quickly presented her cousin for marriage and used Mikko's social media platform to promote her books until people started contacting her about paying for books and not receiving the product.
"Mikko began to get inboxes asking can you get in touch with Dr. Bynum because I have not received my book," Demajio noted.

Dooley said she was a big believer in Bynum's ministry but now that she has seen it at work from the inside she wants to warn her unsuspecting followers.

"I came from nothing when I met this lady (Bynum). I had faith as a mustard seed that God was going to come through and do His thing in my life. I had a woman of God that was told by God to help me through this transition but instead I was taken advantage of. And in society, we would hurt the victim and praise the victimizer," she lamented.

"Where have we gone wrong, see I come from a church where when the pastor doesn't preach right and he doesn't lead his people, it's time for the body of Christ to get up and allow that pastor to step down. ... they need to be accountable for their actions," she said.

"It just so happen that God put me in a place because you see, while y'all were praying to get a word from Dr. Juanita Bynum, there were people praying because they said 'something don't look right with her.' What's going on? People in my inbox saying, Mikko, I'm praying for you sister, I was woken up in the middle of my night. The Holy Spirit spoke to me. People are praying for things to be revealed. It just so happened that God put me on the inside," she explained.

Young Christian Girl Forced to Pray Muslim Prayer, Told to Forget Jesus to Pass Class in Philippines

A young Christian schoolgirl in the Philippines recalled how teachers forced her to pray a Muslim prayer in order to pass a class, and ignored her explanations that she now prays to Jesus instead.

Persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA said on Wednesday that the Christian girl, Jen-Jen, had been attending a Vocational Bible School in the southernmost region of the Philippines, where she learned Bible stories and listened to the pastor's teachings on salvation and Christ.

At her regular school, however, she described how authority figures looked down on her faith and forced her to go against it.

"Although she performed well in nearly every subject, for instance, Jen-Jen encountered pressure in Arabic class where the teacher required students to memorize a Muslim prayer in order to pass," Open Doors reported.

"Despite being uncomfortable, Jen-Jen learned the words of the prayer to recite to the teacher. But rather than asking Jen-Jen to say the words in an oral test, the teacher later announced students would be required to go to a mosque and pray the prayer aloud."]

The schoolgirl and another Christian classmate told the teacher that they now pray to Jesus instead, and therefore can not pray in a mosque. But the teacher ignored the request and told them to turn away from Christ.

"You must comply or else you will fail in this subject. You should revert to your Islamic faith," the teacher reportedly said.

Jen-Jen was then forced to complete the long walk to the mosque while wearing a traditional Muslim dress and veil covering, despite burning up with a fever.

The schoolgirl got so sick, however, that she lost consciousness and blacked out. Even as she came back to, the teacher refused to excuse her from listening to the entirety of the Muslim imam's message.

"Since the day at the Mosque, Jen-Jen has been pressured to conform to many other Muslim practices, such as fasting during the month of Ramadan. In addition to requirements from the school staff, other students have also teased and bullied Jen-Jen because of her faith, sometimes bombarding her as she walked to and from school and pushing her or insulting her," Open Doors added.

Jen-Jen, who is now in eighth grade, still does not speak ill of her Muslim teachers and classmates, however, and she continues to attend church, with the goal of one day becoming a teacher herself.

"I want to help children like me. I want to show them the love of Jesus that I experienced. Also, I want to help my people read and write so that they will also read the Bible for themselves," the girl said.

While the Philippines is not listed on Open Door's World Watch List of countries where Christians face high persecution, and even though Muslims make up only five percent of the Catholic-majority nation, there are certain areas where Christians themselves are a minority.

The southern regions in the country have recently found themselves plagued by Islamic terror, with Islamic State affiliates occupying the Muslim majority city of Marawi.

The Filipino army has said that it is advancing in its campaign to liberate the city. Reports have emerged of local Muslims risking their own lives to save their Christian neighbors.

Norodin Alonto Lucman, former vice governor of a Muslim self-ruled area within the city, revealed that he hid 71 Christians in his home and led 144 people "through downtown streets held by self-styled ISIL fighters and strewn with rotting corpses."

Akiolu In Court Again, Battles Suit To Dethrone Him

Oluwatosin Omojuyigbe

The Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, on Tuesday at the resumed hearing of a suit challenging his title as the Oba of Lagos, insisted before a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, that he is the bona fide monarch of Lagos.

Akiolu noted that his being capped as Oba during his coronation by a representative of the Eletuedibo Family was not illegal despite that the ceremony was not overseen by Chief Eletuedibo, who personally caps Obas of Lagos.

“Contrary to claims that in the history of Lagos, no Oba has been capped by any person other than Chief Eletuedibo, Oba Adeniji Adele was capped by Chief Gafir who was a member of the family.

“It was one of the members of Eletuedibo family that capped me,” Akiolu said.

Akiolu’s title is being challenged in a suit filed by Prince Sammy Adebiyi and Prince Rasheed Modile, asking for an order of the court to declare null and void the appointment and installation of Akiolu as the Oba of Lagos.

The claimants noted that under the Oba of Lagos State Customary Law, only two ruling houses, Akinsemoyin and Ologunkutere, were entitled to present candidates for enthronement as the Oba of Lagos.

They were, however, contending that it was not the turn of the Ologunkutere to produce the Oba after the demise of Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II.

They argued that since it was the Ologunkutere Ruling House which produced Oyekan, it was the turn of the Akinsemoyin Ruling House to produce his successor.

Akiolu is said to have hailed from a branch of the Ologunkutere Ruling House.

Joined as respondents in the suit were the Governor of Lagos State, the Attorney General of Lagos State, Prince Babatunde Akitoye and Chief Junaid Eko.

While being cross-examined on Tuesday by the claimant’s counsel, Mr. Babatunde Fashanu (SAN), Akiolu reasserted that age-long customs and traditions were followed in his selection as an Oba.

 Responding to claims that he was elected less than 90 days after the demise of Oyekan which was contrary to customs, Akiolu insisted that such rule was non-existent.

“There have been 21 Obas of Lagos before the late Oba Oyekan, in the Lagos State selection of Obas, there is no 90-day rule.

“By the grace of God, I am a lawyer, I am duty-bound to speak the truth, I have a duty to assist the court.

“The 90-day rule does not exist in the selection of Obas,” he said.

Akiolu also disputed the claims of Adebiyi and Modile that he was not a descendant of Oba Ologunkutere.

“Oba Ologunkutere had five children, one of which was Akiolu, Akintoye was the last child and Akiolu and Olufusi were the older children.

“Akintoye was three months old when Oba Ologunkutere died, I don’t know how old Akiolu was when his father died.

“By the grace of God, I am a direct descendant of Akiolu Ologunkutere,” he said.

When asked by Fashanu to state in order of seniority, the children of Oba Ologunkutere, Akiolu said, “I don’t know, I don’t work at the births and deaths registry.

“What is important is that Akiolu is the child of Ologunkutere.

“There have been three members of the Akiolu family who ran for the Oba of Lagos including one known as Baba Ita-Ado, I can’t remember when he ran and I cannot tell lies.

“All Lagos princes, who have no curse placed on them, are entitled to run for the kingship, it is however the prerogative of the kingmakers to choose who will be king.

“Many are called, few are chosen,” he said.

Akiolu added, “The claimants had wanted to meet me somewhere to sign a document regarding the succession but I refused.

“It is not an individual’s chair; it belongs to the past, present and future.

“All human beings should not hate one another, we are equal in the eyes of God but not equal in our love for God,” Akiolu said.

Justice Samuel Candide-Johnson adjourned till July 5, 6, 2017, for continuation of trial.

 
PUNCH.