MANY families in Igbo communities have been thrown into crises as a result of what fake prophets and pastors said about a member or members of the family. False prophecies given by people who claim to be prophets of God have indeed destroyed many families and even communities.

Their messages have stoked crises in many families and communities. In some cases, lives were lost as the concerned family or community, in a rage of anger for revenge, attacked the alleged offender, killing, maiming, and destroying his property. This has left everlasting acrimony and hatred among the people. In other cases, these “men of God” destroyed some valuable historical artifacts in communities, claiming that they were harbingers of ill luck to the communities and their people.

In Anambra State, some people narrated how the messages of the so-called men of God have brought sharp divisions, enmity, and long-lasting hatred among siblings and family members. Most times, the sickness of a family member or perceived ill luck of a community usually leads to the invitation of a prophet or pastor who they believe could find out the cause of the problems, and in the process, the prophets would finger a person or persons suspected to be evil behind the problems, hence instigating big trouble.

According to Leonard Nnadi, an Awka-based businessman, the animosity a prophet created in his family five years ago has not been healed, as family members still do not have trust in each other.

Narrating the story, Nnadi said: “One of my siblings fell sick and despite being attended to by many hospitals, she did not get better. Later, a suggestion was made for the family to take her to a local herbalist and after several months with the herbalist, her sickness still did get better.

“So, somebody suggested to us to try a prophet who has a prayer house and that was how we entered one chance vehicle. After taking our sister to his prayer house, he said he would visit our compound for family prayer and cleansing, and listed several items we should get ready for the spiritual work.

“When he eventually came, he was prancing from one part of the compound to the other and making incantations. Suddenly, he stopped at a spot and said that a charm was buried there. One of his aides dug in the place and, behold, he brought out something wrapped with a red cloth.

“The next question he asked was the name of the person living in the opposite house. When we informed him that he was our uncle, the prophet said he was responsible for all the bad things happening in our family; that he tied the destiny of every member of the house in the alleged charm dug up. He also accused him of being responsible for the sickness of the girl.

“We were all perplexed and from that day, bitter hatred entered our family. We no longer visit each other and the person who was accused became withdrawn from the public. When he died three years later, no member of the family participated in his burial ceremony.

“Now the true story has emerged that his hands were clean and that his spirit is angry with every member of the family who accused him of being diabolical. We have agreed to conduct another burial for him to appease his spirit. That is what a false prophet caused in our family”.

Chief Ezemba Nwosu from Omor in Ayamelum council area, narrating his own experience, said his community has not been the same since one pastor performed a cleansing ceremony for them. According to him, the decision to invite the pastor was prompted by complaints from their people, particularly the youths that nobody was making progress in the community.

According to Nwosu: “Despite strong opposition by some of us, the youths decided to invite a pastor who organized a week-long fasting and prayers programme, and all our people living outside the town were asked to come home.

“When the pastor came, he ordered every family to bring out their ancestral symbols of authority which, he alleged, were responsible for our poverty. He also ordered the cutting down of all the monumental trees in the community, claiming that our ancestors buried charms that were holding our progress.

“Since that prayer which cost our community so much money, we have not seen any difference.”

They’ve caused serious harm to the society, they should be checkmated —Obosi monarch

In his reaction, the traditional ruler of the Obosi community in Idemili North council of the area of Anambra State, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, Eze Iweka III, expressed serious concern over the evil activities of false prophets and the harm they have done to the society. He called for urgent laws and actions to be deployed to checkmate them.

Eze Iweka noted that apart from false prophets, there are also fake pastors and fake native doctors who are also causing problems in communities. The monarch said although it would be difficult to detect the fake ones among them, “the truth remains that fakes and genuine ones are co-existing, and there is a dire need to make a law prescribing a certain punishment for the fake ones”.

Recently in Ebonyi State, irate youths of Agharoza village, Iboko community, Izzi council area, destroyed and set ablaze houses and other properties of their kinsman following a controversial prophecy that he was an alleged evil man blocking the progress of his people.

The action of the youths was prompted by a crusade held by the villagers who invited a prophet said to be popular in the area who presided over the three-day event to fish out the evil men in the village. And in the course of the programme, he fingered a member of the community as one of the evildoers in the village, but the man rejected the allegation and insisted that he was innocent. But the village youths insisted that he should be treated the way others alleged bad men called out were treated, and went on to demolish his houses, motorcycle, farm, and other properties.

The ugly development made the traditional ruler of the community ban prophets and prophetesses from operating in the community. He said they had caused many problems in the community.

According to him, a man killed his father in the community because a prophet told him the father was responsible for his impotency.

Beware of people claiming to be prophets, pastors, some are evil, Pastor Jacobs warns

The Chairman, Ministerial Council of the Church of God (Seventh Day), Abia State Conference, Pastor Ukandu Jacobs, agrees that fake prophets abound and their prophecies bring confusion and conflict in families, and urged people to check very well those who claim to be prophets before patronizing them to avoid bringing calamities on themselves.

Ukandu told SEV that the problem of fake prophecies is caused by people who employ them for commercial purposes to deceive people, make gains, and cause confusion in society. He explained that prophecy is a gift not given to everybody.

He said: “True prophecy can’t bring crisis to families, churches or communities but it is meant to foretell or reveal the events of the future. The menace of fake prophecies from supposed men of God is a result of people claiming what they are not. You know there’s a high level of poverty and unemployment in our society which has made people claim to be what they are not to survive.

“Today, the so-called prophets demand money for even praying for people over their problems. Anybody who demands money to pray for you or conduct their so-called deliverance service is a fake prophet. They are the same people who will prophesy to you that your sibling or uncle is behind your problems. I am not saying that your sibling or uncle can’t be a bad person, but test and confirm who the prophet is, before he brings confusion to your family.

“The so-called men of God use the advantage of the facts that most people, even Church members, hardly research the Bible to know the truth. The Bible enjoined us to test and confirm the prophets if they are genuine. The Bible also said you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit to genuine Christians. It is not the personal property of anyone. So, nobody should allow himself to be deceived by patronizing fake prophets and their controversial prophecies”.

My relatives haven’t come home for 17 years out of suspicion and fear; fake prophecy has destroyed our family —Imo community leader

A community leader In Okpofe, Ezinihitte Mbaise Council area of Imo State, Chief Jasper Nwachukwu, narrated how his aunt and her children have not stepped into their family for more than 17 years for fear of being harmed.

Nwachukwu explained that trouble started after the demise of his uncle in 2005. According to him, his aunt and cousins had accused his father of being behind the death of their father, following what he described as “a dubious and false prophecy from their pastor”.

Nwachukwu narrated thus: “My aunt and cousins have not returned home for more than 17 years. They accused my father of killing their father because of one dubious false prophet. Their father died in 2005 and since then, it has been troublesome.

“Our community looked into the matter and blamed them for accusing my father wrongly. That was the last time they came home. We were told the first son has built a house in his maternal home, which means he has no plans of coming home”.

Fake prophecy is poison not to taste —Evangelist Ugwu

Evangelist Christian Ugwu lamented the damages caused by false messages from fake prophets and prophetesses, saying false prophecy is like poison. He describes it as a serious issue that needs urgent attention before every family is doomed. He called on the children of God to have faith in God and to pray and believe that God has answered their prayers instead of looking for prophecies.

“Fake prophecies are everywhere now. People are using prophecy to make money and create problems in families. As we speak now my brother’s wife has stopped eating from her 80-year-old husband’s mother, accusing her of bewitching the husband and others.

“I know it is the same fake prophecy from someone who calls himself or herself a prophet or prophetess that caused it. The situation is trying to cause trouble but I told every member of the family not to talk to the woman. All I can say is that people should learn to pray and believe in their prayers, they should forget about prophets and their prophecies. They are destroying families and relationships”, he said and admonished fake prophets and prophetesses to stop misleading people.

People shouldn’t depend on 3^rd party to hear from God —IWA

On her part, the National President of Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, urged people, especially Christians to have personal relationships with God and stop depending on any third party to hear from God. She regretted that the peace of many families in Igbo land had been destroyed by commercial pastors and fake prophets.

“I have been researching and I have read the Bible twice back to back just to see if this practice is in the bible but I didn’t find it anywhere. Satan, not our father, mother, brother, sister, or uncle is the one behind our ordeals.

“People should have an understanding of the Bible. The power to kill or keep alive is in the hands of God. People should stop looking at the direction of their relations or village people as being responsible for their misfortunes. Regrettably, these false prophets have corrupted religious doctrines for their stomach”, she said.

Fake prophecy is a survival strategy—Prof Opata

In his contribution, a professor of African Fiction, Damian Opata, said fake prophecy is a survival strategy, which he said is fueled by hard times, even as he said that some fake pastors seek powers from deities and traditionalists to draw followers, saying they usually hypnotize their victims to exploit them.

“In difficult times, people can manipulate and cheat others. Fake businesses thrive most in hard times and it is worse when such businesses are linked with faith. All these pastors, diviners soothsayers, and even charismatic prophets want to use that strategy to survive”, saying that some families are in chaos due to prophecies from the so-called men of God. (Vanguard)

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