Pastor Shrine Saga:Residents of Ogun Community Express Mixed Reactions

Residents of Ketu community in Aiyetoro area of Ogun on Sunday expressed mixed feelings over the report that a Pentecostal pastor, Wale Fagbere , was stricken after he allegedly invaded a shrine in the area.

They spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aiyetoro, Yewa North Council Area of the state.

NAN reports that Fagbere on Sept. 20 allegedly got stricken in a shrine in Ketu community in Ayetoro area of Yewa North Local Government of the state after destroying some structures in the shrine.

Fagbere, who was reported to have been stricken by some angry gods, allegedly regained consciousness after custodians of the shrine carried out some rites on him.

When NAN visited the community on Sunday, many of the traditional title holders declined comments, saying the issue had been resolved.

Some of the residents of Ayetoro, who spoke with NAN on condition of anonymity, said Fagbere was not telling the truth as he was actually stricken.

One of them, a commercial motorcyclist, who said he was at the scene when it happened, confirmed the incident.

“The pastor got stuck in the shrine and at a point the traditionalists were called in to set him free.

“ He was there from morning till evening. At a point, his mother had to come to the scene to plead for him.

“If not for the king who waded into the situation, things would have gone beyond human control, “he said.

But a female resident of the area, who refused to mention her name, disagreed with people who believe the pastor was stricken.

She said that the pastor was not stricken but only obeying the divine instruction he claimed he had been given.

NAN also visited the palace of the Alaye of Ayetoro, Oba Abdulazeez Adelakun, but one of the palace Chiefs, Kola Onifade, said the monarch was unavailable for comment.

Onifade also said the monarch was the only person that could speak on the matter.

He, however, noted that there was nothing more to say on the issue, saying it had been resolved.

The cleric had on Thursday in Abeokuta at a press conference organised by the Ogun Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria said that many people mistook his posture at the shrine for paralysis.