Posted by By Tunde Oyeleye on
Ipesi-Akoko in the present day Ondo State used to have about four churches. It is unfortunate that all the four were cowed by satanic forces. The cult members were so deadly that they publicly identified themselves even in the churches. The pastors dared not talk. For a born again Christian like me, I was a fish out of water. The evil powers were all round me, ready to fry me."
'Ipesi-Akoko in the present day Ondo State used to have about four churches. It is unfortunate that all the four were cowed by satanic forces. The cult members were so deadly that they publicly identified themselves even in the churches. The pastors dared not talk. For a born again Christian like me, I was a fish out of water. The evil powers were all round me, ready to fry me."
This is Rev. Kunle Ilori's candid description of the spiritual stage at Ipesi-Akoko, a sleepy town where he taught after his youth service. He had discovered that darkness and light were no friends. Now a full time minister, Ilori recalls the incident.
King's invitation
'This circumstance led me to embark on regular vigils with warfare prayers. This sent signals to the powers of darkness in the town. They instructed the (kabiyesi) king to call this ‘small teacher' to order.
Not quite long, the king sent for me. I didn't know all along that I had become a problem to many people. When the king sent for me, I was a little disturbed but I went.
'It was at the palace that I got to know the full story.
The fire was already burning in the bosom of the evil ones. I explained to the king that my prayers and vigils were normal routine for a child of God, that meant no harm to anyone. I seized the opportunity to preach Jesus to him and his chiefs, including the old women among them. They bid me farewell with smiles. I didn't know that there was serious bitterness in their hearts with a determination to eliminate me".
According to Ilori, who is now the Assistant General Overseer of Christian Faith Mission, with headquarters in Abeokuta, Ogun State, he left the palace only to encounter Iroko the head of the herbalists in the town.
Spiritual war
'Iroko, started manifesting all manners of demonic behaviours. ‘So you have come to me at last? I am going to eat you today. You can't escape me,' he started chanting incantations. I quickly dropped my fears and engaged him in spiritual battle that lasted for over two hours. I overpowered him spiritually and cast the demon out of him.
'When he calmed down, I asked for his name. He said he was John. I asked him if he was sure. He said yes.
I reminded him that he had identified himself as Iroko. To my surprise, he started weeping. It was later that I got to know that the name Iroko was that of the demon of one of the village gods, to which he was a high priest. I counselled him and tried to lead him to Christ. Though he remained adamant till I left the town, we became friends. There was another incident that got the powers at Ipesi to know me the more and determined to kill me.
The determination of the powers of darkness to eliminate me led the witches into a grand plan, which their yeye i.e president, came to deliver personally.
The ugly incident happened two days after I had dealt with Iroko. Late in the evening of that day, I heard a knock on my door. I asked the person to come inside and behold, a woman dressed only in a short knicker and a native brassier entered my room with a pot full of leaves and roots smoking seriously with an offensive odour.
'She started chanting incantations and blowing the smoke towards me. I took my ammunition from the word of God. And, I covered myself with the blood of Jesus and so I was immuned from the effect of the smoke. With this covering of the blood, my offensive attacks became very hot on her with serious physical effects.
'When I discovered that she has lost the battle, I ordered her into the bush. She turned and ran straight into the thick Ipesi forest. All my neighbours knew that something unusual was going on in my room but they couldn't come out because of the fear of the woman whom they knew very well. She was the head of the witches in the town."
Another king's summons
'Five days after the battle, the king and his chiefs came calling. Meanwhile, from the second day of the incident, the town was agog with stories of the encounter. Different versions of the story were being circulated. Nobody, however, had the effrontery to confront me until the king and his chiefs called that day".
'The king pleaded with me to call the woman back from the bush. The attack, he said, was not to his knowledge, if not he would have advised against it. They begged and begged that I should used that my ‘strange' power to bring her back. Once again, I witnessed Jesus to them. I also made it known to them that the woman would come back very soon.
'On the seventh day, the woman, now looking completely mad staggered back to the town still carrying her evil pot but with no smoke there again.
She went into the palace where she met the chief in council. Right there, she dropped dead."
It was this incident that turned Ilori into a god among the people at Ipesi. According to him, apart from small children and his students, people used to give way to him whenever he was passing or coming their way:
'Not quite long, I established a fellowship there and to the glory of God, the number grew to over 50 people. Before I left the town, I handed over the group to Pastor E.A Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). It is now a full parish of the church there.
'It was only at Ipesi that I can say that I used my HND Engineering certificate to work. Ever since, God has taken me off secular jobs. This has been a blessing to me and thousand of others.
' I seriously charge the leadership of this nation to please seek God on the goings-on in the country. The way things are now, the common man is at the receiving end of poverty. Their hopes and desires have been dashed under democracy. The rich ones are under the assassins' bullets and now it seems as if no one is save anymore. However, I believe that God is still merciful enough to reshape the country if we call on Him."