How God protected us from herdsmen who attacked our church with AK47 rifle - Prophet Ologbonyo

Prophet Ade. Ologbonyo

By 'Gbenga Bankole

Prophet Ade Ologbonyo, the planter and Minister in Charge of Christ Apostolic Church, Church of Boanerges has explained how God saved the Abuja assembly of the church when herdsmen attacked using AK47 rifle.



Prophet Ologbonyo disclosed this at the grand finale of the Victorious Sunday Mega Praise programme held at Ise-Ekiti assembly of the church on Sunday April 7, 2019.



In his speech entitled "Why Won't I Praise God?", the Prophet explained that " on 7th July, 2017, I ought to have been in a 3-day program at our branch church in Lugbe, Abuja, but the Spirit kept delaying me. Due to the fact that I was yet to get divine direction to go for the programme, I sent some of my Pastors ahead with a view to joining them later.  So, I tarried till the last day which was 7th July, 2017.  As early as possible, I  dressed up and left my house in Ise-Ekiti, Nigeria; but something kept coming to my mind that a negative incident was about happen."



"I called my wife and said, I foresaw bad things ahead. She advised I should suspend the journey. I replied that it might be more dangerous if I did not go. As I made up my mind around 3 in the afternoon I  put my baggage in the car, I saw a big fly in the passage of the house. Thank God for the spirit and grace upon my life, I discerned that something negative was about to happen as I knew what it meant to see a lot of big flies in a clean environment. I did the necessary spiritual cleansing until around 4pm. Eventually, I left for Abuja.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. We arrived the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) safely around 10 at night, headed for the church directly and just dropped our luggage at the hotel. Our Church members were excited to see me around them culminating to prayer session as the night was designed mainly for prayers. I took up the microphone and kept leading people of God in prayers of appreciation. For over one hour we were on this particular prayer point: appreciation. At about 1am, I directed the congregation especially those standing behind or closer to the window to move a bit forward. It was like I knew something was about to happen. It was not up to 5 minutes that the prayer got deeper that we started hearing gun shots. phahphah! phohi!! prapaarararah!!! What happened? From where, at where?  These were the questions coming  from us all. We never knew that the Fulani herdsmen had surrounded the church!"



"One of them came in through the main door and shouted with the AK47 rifle in his hand, Wey the Pastor? As he sighted  the altar, he pointed the gun at me at very close range and shot. I put my hands on my head and shouted "Jesus." That day I knew it was fire that comes out of the gun. I thought the end has come for me to meet my Creator. It was like a theatre act. As I closed my eyes deeply and expected the falling of the mighty, behold, I saw a giant man whose chest was a rock in my front defending and preventing the bullets from reaching me. The second, third and fourth bullets towards me alone, and none penetrated me.
What a Mighty God we serve! "He delivers and rescues, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who hath delivered Daniel Ade Ologbonyo from the power of the lions. (Daniel 6:27). Halleluyah!



A lot of people started running for their lives, mother left their children, husbands left their wives. "Bi'na ba jo'ni jo omo eni, tara eni laa koko gbon danu." When the man with gun observed that he could not bring me down, he ran outside and came in again. This time, shooting at the children and those lying down."



"My Lawyer, Barrister Akande was in the church, he pointed a local pistol on Akande's head and pulled the trigger of the gun, behold it didn't penetrate. Not even a single mark nor drop of blood. People started shouting, blood of Jesus, blood of Jesus." Indeed, this blood of Jesus is better than that of Abel. We were all safe unhurt.They used the rod in their hands to beat my lawyer and P. A.  My CSO had escaped long from the scene. When they saw that they couldn't kill us, they started picking our phones, iPads and my laptop which had a lot of important documentation including all my researches on the Biography of Dr. Evangelist Bola Are, the great gospel musician whose book I was writing then. Eventually, they kidnapped Elder Stephen Shamakinwa and left. Elder Shamakinwa appeared quite well fed and good looking and they thought he was the pastor."



"A lot of people were crying asking me that, "Daddy where is my husband? Where are my children?" I would not forget quickly a pregnant woman who was just attending our monthly programme for the first time with her husband shouting if I couldn't find my husband Daddy, ah! I won't take it easy oo." Without  shoes on, I together with all the Pastors entered the nearby bush searching for our people who had taken to their heels after hearing gunshots. We got everyone except Elder Stephen Adeolu Shamkinwa!
The police together with the vigilante group came to the church and helped us search all the nooks and crannies, but all to no avail."



"We left the church for Lugbe Police Divisional Headquarters, Abuja. There we wrote statement. We were so troubled looking for Elder Shamkinwa. The wife was so troubled moving from toilet to the office of the DPO Femi. We were there from morning till about 4pm. A lot of policemen were sent out for search. The officer in charge of kidnapping in Abuja metropolis Mr. Femi told the Divisional Police Officer to let us return to the scene of the incident.
When they got there, having seen the bullets on ground and confirmed it was AK47 bullets, the man asked for the number of casualties. I answered none! He knelt down and said "Pastor, please pray for me. Surely, God is here." He packed the bullets and asked us to go back to the station. I told them I want to pray. So, they left."



"That day, I understood the Yoruba proverb which says "Igba iponju la nm'ore, oran seniwo kamenitofeni." You know your true friends on the day of your trouble. Some ran away from me, some came to mock us, while some stood firm and genuinely by me. I went to the altar praying to God to deliver Elder Shamkinwa from the den of the kidnappers. When I was praying, God revealed to me that Elder Shamakinwa would be released without paying a dime as ransom. And so it came to pass as declared by God.
Even though they demanded for 50 million naira as the ransom, but we got him free by the power of Almighty God.  And it cost us no money."