The Celestial Church of Christ, Acts of Apostle Parish, Ketu, Alapere, Lagos, has been thrown into crisis following a N5m donation by the church authorities.
The crisis unfolded during a Sunday service last week when Muyiwa Oluponna, who claims to be the son of the church’s founder, entered the church and disrupted the service, attempting to install himself as the shepherd. Oluponna allegedly seized the microphone from the acting shepherd, Adetayo Adetola, during the sermon, and declared he had the right to deliver sermons every second Sunday of the month.
A viral video showed the disruption, with Oluponna and other church members arguing heatedly. The incident led the church authorities, with the help of a task force led by Akinbode Adjovi, to shut down the church for 40 days.
Adetola recounted that Oluponna demanded the N5m donation, meant for renovations and construction of a clergy house, be given to his family. “That Sunday, our shepherd was absent, and I was put in charge of the service. Everything was going smoothly until he (Oluponna) grabbed the microphone and demanded to speak. I gave him the microphone out of respect, knowing he was a family member of the church founder. He then stated that the N5m donation did not belong to the church but to his family and insisted that it be handed over to them. He also claimed the church belonged to his family, not the community or the CCC authorities, and demanded to be made the shepherd and allowed to preach every second Sunday.”
Adetola added that after the sermon, Oluponna returned, grabbed another microphone, and attempted to take over the pulpit, but the congregation resisted him.
The Shepherd of the church, Emmanuel Iperepolu, said Oluponna had been causing trouble within the church, threatening him and others who opposed him. Iperepolu stated the matter had been reported to both the church authorities and the police. “I believe the donation triggered his actions, but before the money issue, he had been threatening and abusing me and others. After hearing about the donation, he demanded it be given to his family,” he said.
Kayode Ajala, Head of Media and Publicity for the church, explained that the closure was necessary to maintain order and ensure safety. “When things go wrong and lives are threatened, we cannot stand by. The church authorities intervened to prevent any further conflict, which is why we temporarily shut it down while investigations are ongoing. Once resolved, the church will reopen.”
Oluponna declined to comment on whether the crisis was related to the N5m donation, stating that the matter was between his family and the church.
