How Nigerian pastors 'cure' Ebola virus spiritually

Are you a Nigerian pastor? Do you want to increase your congregation? Does your church have a project that must be executed urgently? Then, just organise a revival, or special deliverance service. And don’t ask me what the subject should be, because Ebola is the latest threat to lives every Nigerian wants to be protected from, and pastors and other spiritual healers have all cashed in on it. It is the in-thing for churches to swell their patronage.

It all began with the HIV/AIDS scourge and many Nigerian pastors, as well as other spiritual healers claimed they could either deliver a patient of the virus, or make “believers” immune to the virus. Many carriers of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV rushed to such healing centres and paid heavily to be healed, many died in the process because the desired healing never came. Today, everyone knows that a carrier of the HIV does not need any spiritualist to manage the virus, live healthy, and stay alive.

In Jikwoyi, Abuja, there will be a 3-day prophetic prayer night from August 29 to 31 with the theme, “Anointing to Escape Ebola Disease” by Pastor Anuoluwapo Samuel. In Umuahia, it is the Apostolic Faith Church poster with Rev. Jolly O. Announcing, “3Days of War against Ebola Spirit”.

Toeing the same line, popular prophet TB Joshua of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations, SCOAN, declared in his church service on Sunday August 17, that Ebola is from ‘the pit of hell’. According to TB Joshua, who led his congregation in prayer for Nigerians currently battling the disease, the time was up for the ‘strange ailment’ and life would soon return to normal for the affected countries.

“The so called strange ailment coming from three nations, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia… Satan is the manufacturer, the source,” he said, adding, “Begin to capture the covenant of that strange sickness. Command that strange ailment to come out and go to the pit of hell, in the name of Jesus Christ! Because of Christ, people of Liberia, Sierra Leona, Guinea, you are released.”

The controversial pastor boldly declared that God had spoken to him to pray for the nations affected by Ebola as its reign of fear was near its end. He stressed that it was from the devil and that Satan only introduced the Ebola to ensure that people no longer love themselves.

Also, founder of Trinity House, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, has claimed that he has found a solution to Ebola disease, and that he had a “message of hope and faith” that would uncover the solution to the highly infectious disease. According to him, God’s “anointing” and the “living words of Jesus,” were all that are needed to cure the deadly disease,” and a mere laying of hands on those afflicted with the incurable Ebola virus was all that was required to liberate them.

Writing on his official Facebook page, the clergyman, who is also a chartered accountant, said that he could perform the same feat as late Canadian-American Pentecostal pastor, John G Lake, who, according to him, cured those infected by the virus by laying hands on them.

“Several years ago, the Ebola virus erupted in Africa, killing thousands of people without restraint or cure. The medical world was perplexed. A great man of God by the name John G Lake came to the rescue by laying hands on infected people who were not to be touched. With bare hands, cleaning secretion and curing every victim, John. G Lake along with his Holy Ghost filled team, brought to an abrupt end to the spread of the deadly virus. The higher life that put out Ebola in the days of John G Lake will do the same through you in your day! At the name of Jesus, Ebola will bow out! Stop the fear! Lake and team are long gone! But I am here, you are here! We can save our world! We have the life of God in us!” Ighodalo wrote in a post on his Facebook page.

He said if any member of his deliverance team laid their hands on those infected with the virus, they would not contract the disease. Moreover, although the preacher came out to deny the claim saying it was not him but God who had power to cure the dreaded disease, he further buttressed his initial claim by stressing how John Lake had cured it spiritually.

Several Nigerians have reacted to this latest trend, though. “The idea is to get a lot of persons to come to their churches and give offerings and numerous contributions in different names. You know, the more members you have, the more money you make, so for our pastors, this is just an opportunity to get new members,” Ugochukwu James, a civil servant living in Abuja told us.

And while the scourge still rages on, Nigerians can only hope for a quick cure if not an immediate halt to the spread. This to many, is the only solution to save unsuspecting members of the public from being swindled by people they look up to as spiritual heads.