By Oscar Nwogu
The pastor who miraculously escaped death by whiskers following the detonation of improvised explosives at a church in Oko Oba, a Lagos suburb is still missing
Pastor Mike Etapemi was counseling worshippers at his First Light Christian Centre Fagba near Oko Oba area of Agege, Lagos when tragedy struck and a bomb exploded, killing two persons on the spot and the third died few hours later.
The popular radio evangelist, said to be very popular with his strong Christian belief , had miraculously escaped the horror bomb blast and went under. He has not been seen since then.
Ms Rebecca John, one of the ardent worshippers of the First Light Christian Centre which has since been rebuilt from the ruins of the attack, revealed that nobody has made contacts with Pastor Mike since that fateful day, fueling fears that he could have been a victim of his outspoken-ness in things that concern the heavenly race.
The radical radio evangelist was said to have attracted the scorn of some religious extremists who were uncomfortable with his mode of preaching of love of Christ and the rate he was converting some youths to the Christian faith. ‘’The pastor’s house was looted and vandalized after the incident and his security dog poisoned. It has remained a mystery for us”
Miss John further noted that the church had embarked on several days of prayer and fasting, believing that they would get a clue concerning Pastor Etapemi’s whereabouts through revelation from God. “Our prayer is that God should bring him back to us alive,” Miss John added.
However, reports have it that fourmembers of the dreaded Boko Haram sect arrested on January 9, 2017 at a hide out near his church in New Oko Oba, Fagba Area of Lagos State were granted amnesty by the Federal Government even as the DSS were said to have arrested two men suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram group, in Oko Oba Agege a few days after the attack on the Church at a building close to the church fueling suspicion that Pastor Itapemi could have been the target of the attack masterminded by the dreaded Boko Haram group to forestall further conversion of youths and spreading of the preaching gospel in the South West.
Meanwhile the spate of insecurity in the Nigeria has taken a turn for the worse as ransom demanding kidnappers and gun wielding men have continued to abduct, kidnap and terrorize Christians across the country and this has attracted wide condemnation from well-meaning Nigerians including the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
