Posted by By Ime Ola on
A 64-year-old bricklayer whose daughter allegedly turned from a bird to a human being last Thursday in Lagos, has confessed that the 18-year old girl is probably a witch.
A 64-year-old bricklayer whose daughter allegedly turned from a bird to a human being last Thursday in Lagos, has confessed that the 18-year old girl is probably a witch.
Mr. Abel Oluwadiran, a father of six who lives at Mangoro area of Agege, a Lagos suburb, also revealed that Bukola, her daughter, has been having some psychiatric and spiritual problems for the past five years.
The news of a bird transforming into a girl in the Iju area of Agege spread like wildfire throughout the nooks and crannies of Lagos metropolis, attracting curious residents who thronged the Celestial Church of Christ, Ajinde Titun Central parish on Agbado Road where the transformation took place to catch a glimpse of the alleged witch.
Speaking to Daily Sun at the premises of the church in Oluwadiran, a native of Erimo, Ilesha in Osun State said: "Yes, she is my daughter, she is sick and we have taken her to different places for deliverance."
Shocked, confused and totally embarrassed, Oluwadiran spoke almost inaudibly, saying Bukola's health has always been a source of worry to the entire family: "before now, she was taken to a church for prayers, I don't know how this thing happened even though she had once confessed that she belonged to the ogbanje cult."
Another member of the family, Hon Prince Sam Adegunsoye, corroborated Mr. Oluwadiran's clams, and said the girl had been taken to Aro Neuro-psychiatric hospital, Abeokuta where she spent about a year and later taken to different churches for deliverance, all to no avail.
Visibly shaken by the news of the girl's metamorphoses , Hon Adegunsoye told the gathering which comprised of elders of the church and other members of the parish, as well as Bukola and her elder brother, that Bukola at one point was taken to a mountain near Irepo where people go for prayers.
He narrated how he was visiting her every Wednesday which was their visiting day and expressed shock at the news which still remains a mystery to him.
Daily Sun learnt that Bukola's mother was so devastated by the news that she could not accompany them to the church,but her elder brother was there, wearing a solemn look and very, very sad. He begged to be left alone when asked for comment.
However, Bukola, the girl at the centre of the story, looked pathetic in her faded green blouse and wrapper. The moment she walked in, all eyes turned to her direction. She had this empty look of mentally ill patients. You could see through her that she was indeed sick and needed help. As she was shown a seat, she rushed there, sat down and started starring at nothing, fidgeting with her dirty wrapper simultaneously.
In spite of the embarrassment, Hon Adegunsoye, who spoke on behalf of the family, expressed his appreciation to the Shepherd and members of his church for protecting the girl, thus sparing her life. According to him, if the crowd he saw on television had descended on her, she would not have survived it.
Meanwhile, the Ajinde Titun Central Parish of the church on 24 Agbado Road, Oke-Ayo bus-stop, Iju-Ishaga has become a Mecca of sorts as curious Nigerians and top members of the church have been besieging the premises to see the Shepherd in charge,
Senior Evangelist Sunday Oluwadayomola A. Oyedokun who narrated the strange story to Daily Sun.
"We were in a prayer vigil on Thursday and by 2 a.m, we heard a noise of a strong fall on top of the roof of our church. We came outside to see what was happening, then we noticed that it was a big bird which flew from the roof of the church to the gate, then fell down and turned to a human being. Then we prayed for one and half hours and now asked her: what do you want? What is your mission here? Who sent you?" She did not respond to our questions. At about 6 a.m, we went to her again to ask her name and she told us her name was Bukola. Where do you come from? She said she came from Ilesha in Osun State. What is your mission in Lagos, how did you get to Lagos and why are you here? She said she did not know where she was. Later we gave her a cup of water and questioned her again. She told us she went to meetings in a coven and that they were many.
We asked her why she fell down here, she said she did not know.
We called a cameraman to take her photograph, he was the one that went to tell people the news and thousands of people gathered here on that day, Friday, to catch a glimpse of the girl.
"Some journalists heard and came. Kola Olawuyi and Segun Adisa were here.
We later put her in Kola Olawuyi's car and the car refused to function. We called a taxi. Immediately she entered, the car also refused to get into motion. We hired a commuter bus, when we moved from here to Toyin bus-stop about two bus-stops away, the vehicle could not move any further, it stopped. We called in the OPC leader in the area, because people had followed us and they had already started throwing stones. In order to save her life, we took her to OPC headquarters and the OPC members took her to Ajuwon Police station. When we got there, the policemen there said they had heard the rumour and said we should take her away. When we entered the vehicle, the vehicle refused to start again, the same vehicle we took to Ajuwon. We were there for about two hours before the vehicle started again and we went back to OPC headquarters at Agbado station.
There, they asked me to sign and take her back to the church for special help. That's her sitting down here (pointing) We have sown sutana dress for her. So there's no problem. Later, her father came.
We are Celestial and they are not Celestial, but if they allow us to pray for her for about 7-14 days, then she will be okay. Everywhere in Celestial Church, we always do that night prayer every Thursday, it is for prophets and prophetesses. I was really surprised because I have never seen something like that in my life. Yes I know, it is hard to believe but before God and man it happened."
Another member of the Celestial church from Ifako Ijaiye district, Superior Evangelist B. Amos Ajayi spoke:
"This news came to me as a surprise, but at the same time I cannot say I was surprised. There was a spiritual message that warned them to prepare for vigil and that something will happen during the vigil, so they must be very careful.
The Shepherd phoned me to tell me that the father of the girl was around and they were about taking her away. I met the father and interviewed him. He told me he lives in Lagos. One thing I want to say is that this news has gone far and wide.
We have heard about a similar incident in Oworonshoki and Ikeja. The father confirmed that she belongs to ogbanje cult.
The girl's Uncle Hon Prince Sam Adegunsoye, also spoke to Daily Sun:
"I am a retired civil servant. I live in Abule-Egba. I am the mother's younger brother. I am 58 years old. My sister is still married to her father. The girl has been mentally sick for the past four to five years now and there are records to show for it. She has been taken to Aro Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta, where she spent about a year taking treatment. We took her to a church for spritual healing, from there the girl absconded and the parents have been looking for her for the past six days. She is about 18 years old.
I got to hear about this case on television. I heard the Shepherd of the parish addressing some pressmen on the incident. The TV station showed the girl's picture on the screen. And suddenly there was power outage and merely looking at the picture, I knew she was the one. Immediately, I began my investigation because I was really worried, people told me she was handed over to the OPC members at their headquarters in Alagbado. I went there and they directed me here.
Whether I believe the story is a very hard question to answer, because it did not happened in my presence and I have never seen such a thing before. I cannot say it is not possible, I cannot also say it is possible.
I came because I know for sure that the parents would be worried. So I came here and it is confirmed that she is the girl I saw on TV. Up till now, it is still a mystery to me.
I was the one that went to tell her father and by the time I got to him, he told me the girl was in the church (not this church) where she was being taken care of. We went to that church, and they told us that a few days ago, after taking her lunch, she decided to stroll and that was how they did not see her again. That was around 3p.m. Before this time, there was another place we took her to, a mountain around Irepo where people are taken for spiritual healing.
"Their visiting days was every Wednesday and I used to go and see her. Her parents have been trying their best but only God knows what is hidden.
By the time I saw the picture on television and heard the story, I just thought that maybe she was being used by evil men because in our family, we are Christians. That was my thinking.
We are going to take her away if they release her, we may come back if need be for some spiritual assistance because with God, all things are possible. We will discuss with the elder here and if there is any best way they can redeem her from all these problems, then we will not hesitate.