47-year-old Pastor Julius Adepoju of the Apostolic Church who has been remanded in prison for stabbing his pastor colleague to death in Gbongan, Osun State has narrated what transpired between them that prompted his action.
In a recent interview Pastor Adepoju narrated at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Osogbo what led him to stabbing his colleague, Pastor Oguntoye to death.
Excerpts:
“I am a father of five children. I was a pastor at The Apostolic Church, Gbongan but retired at Ikire before I started a prayer mountain service at Ode-Omu. I had to leave Ikire because of problems from my in-laws. My wife is from Orile-Owu but I was a pastor at Araromi which is under Orile-Owu.
“There was someone in her family who was waging spiritual war against me. It was as if they were setting me on fire. They were also threatening me. One day, I was sleeping and they called my spirit out. I saw my dead body on the floor. I prayed and woke up.
“They were trying to lure me into a cult but I refused. They were complaining that I did not join them and I
did not allow my wife to join. Those troubling me are Ojeleye in Gbongan and Oderinwale that lives in Ode-Omu. They started placing curses on me.
“There was a day I left Gbongan at about 10.30p.m. and walked to Modakeke. I was sent back by Oderinwale. My attackers also made incisions on my ears in a dream. At a time, I made up my mind to join so that all the troubles would stop but my wife warned me not to join any cult because I would be killed. She further revealed that her father was a member of the cult.
“In the course of all these, I lost a son called Aduragbemi. He was used for rituals because he was taken to Orile-Owu after he died. I knew this because they woke him up after he died and used him for rituals.
Journey to a traditional psychiatric home
“In 2012, Ojeleye told some people to come and pick me, saying that I was being taken to the police station. To my surprise, they took me to the house of a man, Baba Alaafia, who used to cure madness. I took a bottle and used it to threaten them but later dropped it. I was beaten mercilessly and was being given drugs meant for mad people. I was there for about four months. Ojeleye said he got a contract to make me mad so that I could be initiated, after which I would be prayed for by a pastor to cure me.
“About six men were set against me to constantly curse me and my children that our glory should not shine on earth. The deceased, Pastor Olusoji Oguntoye, was one of them. They have been doing this for the past three years. I was told that the curses are meant for those who join a cult and leave but I was never part of them.
Relationship with deceased
“Oguntoye was my friend; he was my best man during my wedding and I was the one who brought him in to work in God’s vineyard as a pastor. It was this problem that created a wedge between us. He was from Wakajaye but we are under the same local government area. We went to the same school and we had been friends since 1983.
“I warned him against cursing me and my kids in 2013 and he promised not to do so again. On January 15, at about 8p.m., this year, I went to him again, stood outside his residence and reminded him of his promise which he did not fulfil. Oguntoye told Ojeleye and Oderinwale that he would feed me with the liver of a tiger if I came to him.
“He promised again that he would stop cursing me. I repeated it over and over again that he should not curse me. Suddenly, he held me but as he did that, I sighted a knife by the side of his generator and stabbed him with it. He screamed and left me.
“When I saw blood, I became afraid. As he slumped, I ran away and thought of throwing myself in the way of an oncoming vehicle, but I heard a voice in the air warning me not to do so. That was how I went to the police station to turn myself in.
Purported ‘resurrection’ of deceased
“I heard a voice which said that Oguntoye had been taken to Orile-Owu and his leg which retracted inward had been brought out again. The voice added that he had already been raised from the dead. I personally heard his voice when he was saying that I thought he was dead; that he was alive. I began to praise God that I did not become a murderer. There are about six people listening to my conversation with you (Crime Reports). I perceive things spiritually.
“I am not sick. If you ask residents of Gbongan, they would tell you I am not sick. The problem has been overwhelming and had been on for 17 years. I am so impoverished that I use bench to sit in my house.
“Everything I have been discussing with you is being heard by Ojeleye, Morakinyo and Oderinwale and I also hear any discussion about me. Once someone’s blood has been extracted from a dream and mixed with that of another person, like an oath, you would hear conversations being held by those involved, even when they are not together.
“All the curses I am talking about are uttered in the air, and only the initiated could hear them. The government should have mercy on me and release me. I have been very sad about the occurrence and I wept bitterly. I am too popular and loved by the people for such a thing to have happened to me. I know it is not ordinary.”
Regardless of the Pastor's explanation, the Osun State police image maker, Mrs Folasade Odoro said that he was charged to court on January 23 based on circumstantial evidence gathered by the investigating team at the homicide section of the CID, Osogbo. He was said to have been remanded in Ilesa prisons while his case was adjourned to March 7.
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