News
Primate Ayodele, under DSS radar over N150 million prophesy saga
Elijah Ayodele, Primate, founder and head of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke Afa, Lagos, may be speaking to security agencies soon on the reason he allegedly demanded a whopping N150million from Bayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, going by a petition by the later to the authorities for that purpose.
Adelabu, believed to be eying the number one job as Governor of Oyo State, an office that eluded him in 2023, is alleging in a petition to the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), that the controversial cleric, attempted to extort the said amount him for “spiritual intercession” to make him successful at the next try in 2027.
In the petition dated October 13, 2025, and signed by Bolaji Tunji, his spokesman, Adelabu accused Ayodele of making false prophecies intended to malign his reputation after he rebuffed all efforts from the cleric, who allegedly demanded a huge sum of money and expensive spiritual items.
Supported by a series of text messages between Ayodele and Adelabu, Tunji Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, showed how the cleric asked the Minister to bring 24 APC flags for prayers, as well as 1,000 pieces of saxophones/trumpets, with the least expensive Nigerian fairly-used grade costing a total of N50 million and the imported grade-one from China at N130 million in total.
Further details, as reported by TheCable, also showing Ayodele asking Adelabu to bring the items by April 1 and later by April 4, had explained in one of the messages saying that he was going out of his way to make the request, stating: “Sir, I don’t do this, but because of the love I have for you.”
The cleric told the minister that he had sent him several letters while he was CBN deputy governor and other times to the minister in Ibadan, but there was no reply. He repeatedly made requests to call the minister, who told him he was on pilgrimage. Ayodele asked him to “recite almu nasira 200 times”.
The cleric, was said to have told the minister that what he was doing was based on instruction given to him by God, adding: ”I have divine advice for you sir, which can help a lot sir, kindly pick my call. Do vigil and the angel of God is coming to hear request by 1am…I don’t want you to lose the coming election. That is why I’m following the instructions.”
But the Minister was said to have replied that he could not afford the said items, because they were expensive, a development, which apparently incensed the cleric, who while speaking in his church, now claimed that Adelabu had failed and would not become Oyo governor, having “made a mistake” adding that the message was a “warning from God” and that Adelabu should arrest or sue him.
The Minister however appealed to the DSS to investigate the “false prophecies” and apologise, stating: “I write to formally draw the attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the extortive, deceitful, and inciting activities of one self-acclaimed pastor known as Primate Elijah Ayodele, of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, whose actions have become not only personally distressing to the Honourable Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, but also capable of disturbing public peace and undermining the integrity of the political process in Oyo State,” the petition reads.
“Since his tenure as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and particularly in the period leading up to his current aspiration to serve as the Governor of Oyo State, this individual had persistently approached him with unsolicited offers of “spiritual intercession” purportedly to guarantee electoral success.
“Under this guise, he had on several occasions demanded huge sums of money and expensive spiritual items, cumulatively amounting to over N150 million (one hundred and fifty million naira), as purported prerequisites for divine favour. The minister had consistently declined his requests, believing that his political ambition is driven by genuine service to the people and not by any spiritual manipulation or fetish practice.
“Following the Honourable Minister’s refusal to accede to his extortionate demands, Primate Ayodele has embarked on a campaign of malicious and false prophecies targeted at discrediting him publicly. He has gone as far as declaring through various media channels that ‘God told him he will not win the election’ and has recently made more provocative and inciting statements suggesting that he would fail because of his association with the ‘Èmi Lòkan’ slogan (It’s my turn).
“As a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he had previously chosen to ignore his antics to avoid unnecessary public confrontation with a religious figure. However, Primate Ayodele’s continued propagation of these false prophecies, which are evidently retaliatory and malicious in nature, now pose a threat not only to the minister’s reputation but also to public order and confidence in the democratic process.
“I therefore urge the Department of State Services to kindly investigate the activities of the said Pastor Ayodele for extortion, blackmail, and deliberate dissemination of false and inciting information; compel him to retract his false prophecies and issue a formal written apology; and bring him under the force of the law, in accordance with relevant provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and Criminal Code, to deter similar fraudulent religious practices in the future.”
However, TheCable, quoted Ayodele as saying it was Adelabu that approached him first through emissaries because he was desperate to become Oyo governor, adding: “I didn’t blackmail him. We didn’t have any transaction. Again, no money was exchanged between us.
“I discussed some terms with him, which he didn’t agree with. I didn’t make any attempt to extort him. I can sell my services for any amount. I can value it at N1 billion as much as I provide the value he wants. It’s nobody’s business. Why did you come to me in the first place if you didn’t believe in me? What are you doing with someone you claim is dishing out fake prophesies? He should say anything he likes. I’m big. I’m not poor. I take care of vulnerable people. I’m blessed in the Lord.”
President Bola Tinubu on Friday, told Nigerians to take a look at the situation in neighbouring countries to ascertain what true suffering really means, insisting that he has made the country better for everybody.
The President, who spoke against the backdrop of the massive groaning in the country, was particular about the hardship occasioned by the cost of petroleum products, made so by the conflict in the Middle East, where Iran is facing attacks from Israel and the United States.
Urging for patience among the people, Tinubu, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where he inaugurated some projects, said: “I hear you from various angles of the economy. The fuel price is biting hard, but look around, let’s just thank God together that you are better off
“Listen to them in Kenya, in other African countries, what they are going through. We will not look back. We will continue to find ways to ameliorate the suffering of the vulnerable. This is a government that cares.
“I am glad the Head of Service is here. Look at the numbers with the finance, economic planning, and budgeting, and we will see what we can do to ease the burden.
“But that is the development; the burden of it is what we are facing today. The challenge of the war we didn’t call for, but the effect of the interrelated world that we share. Both the joy and pain of it are universal.”
The President’s position came on the heels of another sharp rise in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), now put at close to N1, 400 per litre from the about N870 before the hostilities in the Iran, which led to major difficulties in the operation of global oil industry.
The situation was particularly worsened by the decision of Iran to restrict the movement of vessels carrying crude through the strait of Houmous, a major transit hob for the commodity to various parts of the world.
Nafiu Bala Gombe, the man on whose behalf the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is currently in a prostrate state, has admitted to getting outside help in prosecuting his legal matters against the David Mark camp.
Recall that Mark, former Senate President and Rauf Aregbesola were, last week, derecognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and had their names struck out based on the case filed by Gombe on September 2, 2025.
The commission had relied on the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal, which ordered parties in the case to maintain status quo ante bellum, which it interpreted to mean that it should not deal with either side.
Against the backdrop of the dust the matter had raised across the country, the embattled ADC leadership, had accused the former Deputy Chairman of being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to play the spoiler role to enable President Bola Tinubu have no challenge in the 2027 presidential election.
Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the Mark camp, had last week, stated this much when he wondered how Gombe, who on his own could not afford an ordinary lawyer, going by his financial status, would now be hiring more than three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to represent him, which would probably run into tens of millions of naira.
Reacting on Tuesday, Gombe admitted getting outside help, but added that such assistance was not coming from government quarters or the APC, but from public-spirited individuals and Nigerians averse to the injustice being meted out to him.
Abimuku Monday, spokesman to Gombe, who spoke during an appearance on Morning Briefs, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, on Tuesday, told his host: “Before now, they were saying these people are big weights and we’re light weights. Now, we’re suddenly being seen as human beings. Earlier, we were seen as nobodies – as boys who don’t have capacity to challenge this in court.
“They say Nafiu Bala does not even have money to pursue his case. You see, that’s how they reduce people by their own estimation. They don’t find out who people. They have forgotten that for you to seek legal actions, there are so many ways to go about it.
“It is either you use your own money or your personal relationship with people. Does it mean that somebody in politics cannot have his own friends or cannot have lawyers as his friend or cannot have other members of the society as his friends.
“These are not members of the APC. They don’t belong to any party. They’re citizens of this country, who mean well for Nigeria. Nobody is scuttling the coalition. The fact remains that if you have a challenge, people will rally around you knowing it’s a good cause you’re fighting. People will rally around you to give you the necessary support that you need. They even called my principal a small boy.”
Serah Luca, a Christian woman, has returned N1 million she unknowingly took along with goods purchased from a trader at Terminus market in Jos, Plateau state capital.
Luca, a petty trader, reportedly said she made the purchase on Friday and only discovered the hidden cash after getting home.
She said her decision to return the money was driven by fear of God and her belief that she could not keep what did not belong to her, especially knowing the hardship that comes with losing money in business.
“I am a petty businesswoman. I know what it means to suffer loss. If I put that kind of money into my business, I believe God would punish me,” Daily Trust quoted her as saying.
The trader, Abubakar Dola, who deals in polythene bags at Terminus market, expressed surprise at the woman’s honesty, noting that he had no idea where the money went after mistakenly placing it inside the bag she bought.
Dola said he had planned to transfer the cash through a point of sales (POS) operator but became worried when he could not see the polythene bag where the money was kept.
“I mistakenly included it in what she bought. I didn’t realise until days later, and I had already given up hope. For her to return it after three days is remarkable. I pray Allah rewards her and gives us more people like her.”
Tinubu to Nigerians: You’re in heaven compared to suffering of your neighbours
Nafiu Gombe: Yes, I have sponsors! *I can’t fight ADC big men alone!
Woman returns N1million discovered in purchased items to owner
-
News2 weeks agoGovernor weeps, as terrorists kill soldiers, police in night ambush
-
Columns6 days agoSeun Okinbaloye saga: How does Tinubu survive if Wike resigns?
-
News4 weeks ago2027: Ndigbo will rely on numerical strength – Okorie *Mobilises 35million Igbo votes
-
News2 weeks agoBREAKING: Bloody day in Ibadan! *Trailer loses control, crushes residents!
-
News4 weeks agoUS must finish the job in Iran – Trump *We aren’t leaving yet!
-
News4 weeks agoNobody can question my democratic integrity in Nigeria – Tinubu
-
News1 week agoBREAKING: INEC can’t stop us – ADC *Vows to go ahead with congresses
-
News3 weeks agoTinubu to terrorists: No place to hide! *We’ll smoke you out and defeat you!