The Story of “Jesu Oyingbo” the self-acclaimed Nigerian Jesus Christ.
While growing, there was stories of a Nigerian man who self-proclaimed he will die and ressurect in 3days like Jesus Christ. It was also said that when he died, there was lot of heavy down pour of rain on the 3rd day and his followers were expecting him to rise, but what followed was lightning and thunder which dispersed his followers; he did not rise as foretold.
How True is the Story and who was this Jesus of Oyingbo?
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Back to the story proper.
In the 1950s, the people of Lagos-Nigeria witnessed the shocking declaration of a middle aged Ijebu man named Olufunmilayo Immanuel Odumosu – who declared himself as Jesus who had come to lead the people from darkness to light. He said, “I am Jesus Christ, the very one whose second coming was foretold in the new testament. I have come, and those who believe in me will have an everlasting life and joy. I am the missing of the trinity. I have to prepare the faithful for the judgement day”.
His Church named Universal college of regeneration (UCR) was at first in the Oyingbo suburb of Lagos. This earned him the “Oyingbo” in his alias. Jesu Oyingbo later moved the church to Awoyokun street in Palmgroove and later to Immanuel Street, Maryland Lagos.
Odumosu was born in 1915 to Jacob Odumosu. His grandfather was Joseph Odumosu, a famous traditional healer in Ijebu Ode. Trained as a carpenter, he served with Post and Telegraph during the war. He later took on carpentry work and opened a workshop in Lagos Island. However, he struggled as a carpenter and was constantly in debt. He was jailed for six months on charges brought by his creditors. During this period, Odumosu attended various protestant churches in Lagos but soon claimed he received dreams and visions from God.
It was also alleged that the books written by “Jesu Oyingbo’s grandfather on herbalist practices” were passed on to him, especially the books known as “iwe iwosan”, “iwe Egboogi”, “iwe Isoji” and “iwe Ala”. Translated as books of healing, herbs, revival and dreams. It was rumoured that these books were the sources of his powers.
Some of the structures in the communal enclave and other building owned by Jesu Oyingbo had weird sculptures, which made people believed he was operating a cult. His pattern of apostleship was distinctly different from the Bible records of Jesus Christ or any of his apostles. First of all, his mode of conversion involved flogging the new convert nine strokes of the cane —a cane which many said he also inherited from his grandfather. He described the strokes being given to them as the baptism which they needed to become a part of the flock under his care.
Also, all his members were brought under the communal enclave through that baptism, after which they went back to their families, packed their belongings, forsook the world and followed him. Despite attempts by different families to hold him responsible for such actions, he always came out of the police custody clean.
These members became his congregation and also his workforce, as he was what one might describe as a “Pastorpreneur” owning a printing outfit, a bakery, restaurant, barbing salon, a construction company, real estate development and other business outfits within his community. He acquired massive wealth in the course of operating his ministry.
It was also revealed that Jesu Oyingbo was married to over 30 women and was father to dozen. And that members of his commune slept with one another’s wives. There was an occasion when he married a man’s wife in order to punish him for his errant behaviours. On another occasion, he handed over the wife of an unruly member to other men in the flock. Not to mention that at his will, he could choose to call any of the women who pleased him to satisfy his needs at any time.
On a personal level, he was described by neighbours, friends and even his children as a lively, nice and humorous man who was friendly with all, and never got tired of trying to convert them. Most of his neighbours said the only issue they had was the noise caused by their activities from the early hours of the morning, even though they could not complain.
He, however, entertained them in the evenings by projecting movies for people to gather and watch, creating a sort of cinema-like experience for them. He justified his liberal and abundant life by saying that while the first Jesus came to sacrifice and suffer, taking care of the cross-carrying and crucifixion, he, the second Jesus simply came to enjoy life. “I have come to enjoy my life, my friend”, he often said.
Eventually, nature called the supposedly immortal “Jesus Of Oyingbo” and he answered. He was gripped by the cold hands of death in 1988 when he was aged 73, and he died in a hospital outside the commune. Did he rise on the 3rd day?
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Back to the story.
Well, Jesus Of Oyingbo did not ressurect!!!
Most of his followers did not believe that their messiah had died and failed to resurrect after three days as he prophesied, leaving them disheartened. Stories about the rain, lightning and thunder on the 3rd day of his death are unconfirmed in any reports. What happened after his death?
With a polygamous family, Jesus Of Oyingbo died intestate, without a written will. This led his wives, children and members into a legal brawl – a prolonged chaotic battle for the estate he left behind. Court papers later revealed the darnedest details about the Late Jesus Of Oyingbo’s life and time from plaintiff testimonies and witness accounts.
However, in 1997, the court ruled in favor of the children who then evicted their father’s followers living in the enclave. That marked the end of the Nigerian self-acclaimed Jesus.
Sources; LegitNG, black wash blog, gistmania, Yorùbá fact and history, old naija.
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