Olumba Olumba Obu, the man who gathered followers after himself, claiming to be God, has since died even though his adherents insist otherwise.

This much was revealed by one of his former frontline followers who is now a Pentecostal Pastor.

Pastor Lovina Amangala Iburene of The Truth Ministry/The True Lovers of Christ World Charity Ministry, Lagos, told News Express that Olumba, whose Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is headquartered in the South-South state of Cross River, died way back in 2003.

“Olumba gave up the ghost and was secretly buried,” Iburene said. “He died in the night.”

Asked how she came to know, the firebrand pastor who left Brotherhood of the Cross and Star in 2001 said: “I was informed by an insider.”

She accused the leadership of the church of sustaining the Olumba myth through sheer deception. Olumba Olumba Obu has yet to be seen in public since 2003.

“The level of deception rose to the stage where if asked by journalists and their members from afar, the answer is always ‘he is sleeping’. To those from nearby places, he has ascended into heaven. Lies upon lies!,” Iburene said.

Olumba had on April 14, 2000, crowned his son Rowland as the “Christ”, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Rowland is now effectively in charge of the church.

A former pharmacy technician and soldier, Iburene was with Brotherhood of the Cross and Star from 1987 to 2001. As an evangelist with the church, she toured parts of Nigeria preaching the gospel of Olumba Olumba Obu. She also wrote two pamphlets (In Tune With the Godhead and Thank You My Father) proclaiming Olumba as God – an action which she now deeply regrets, describing it as “I made a great blunder.”

This afternoon, the website, leaderolumbaolumbaobuisalmightygod.org still proclaimed him “LEADER OLUMBA OLUMBA OBU THE ALMIGHTY GOD AND ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE.”

The site said on its home page: “As His creatures might have their various purpose of visiting the Earth, The Almighty God, LEADER OLUMBA OLUMBA OBU manifested as A REFORMER called HOLY SPIRIT, as A LECTURER, called SUPERNATURAL TEACHER and as A CONTROLLER called LEADER.

“These are The Three Qualities He combined together to constitute His Mission of TEACHING man and creations the Undiluted Truth, known as ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE. After being thought, He TRANSFORMS him, and finally brings him to the NATURAL WAY OF LIFE THAT WILL CAUSE MAN AND OTHER CREATIONS OF HIS NEVER TO TASTE OF DEATH OR HUNGER. His Mission is above every other mission ever, because no one was or is able to accomplish this other than Him The Creator. Transforming man and other creatures from sinful body to no sinful body is the most crucial of all tasks, hence only Him, The Almighty God can accomplish this great task.

“On the whole, THE MISSION OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD, LEADER OLUMBA OLUMBA OBU to the Earth includes Teaching all of His creations, bringing them to the ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH, after which, He establishes AN ETERNAL KINGDOM THAT WILL SWALLOW ALL OTHER EXISTING KINGDOMS.”

•Photo: Olumba Olumba Obu.

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