Suspended RCCG Pastor, Iluyomade Under Pressure To Start Own Ministry

Former Regional Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, City of David, Region 20, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, and his wife, Dr. Siju Iluyomade, have reportedly resigned as pastors of the church and are currently under pressure to begin their own ministry. The resignation followed his refusal to serve his three-month suspension and transfer to another parish in Ebute Meta.  Pastor Iluyomade was transferred from RCCG Region 20 following the controversy that trailed his wife’s birthday celebration when the church was mourning the death of former CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe. A new minister, Pastor Charles Kpandei has resumed as the new senior pastor of the region on Sunday, June 9, 2024. A source close in an interview with Vanguard said Iluyomade has resigned, but the governing council has not accepted his resignation letter. The source also said the Apapa Family, the RCCG arm working with the government and other public sector institutions, is trying to ensure that Pastor Iluyomade sets up his ministry. The source said: “Since he is serving a suspension, the resignation has not been accepted by the governing council. The council will not meet until August when the suspension will lapse. The church has an exit procedure for pastors of his calibre. “The Apapa Family group is believed to be an RCCG arm working with governments and other public sector institutions to establish charity projects in the areas of healthcare, education, infrastructure, citizens’ welfare and capacity building. “Whether it is for self-gains and desires just the way they influenced Pastor Ituah Ighodalo to resign from the RCCG and establish their ministries, only God knows.”

RCCG suspends pastor whose wife threw an extravagant birthday party shortly after Herbert Wigwe’s death 

The City of David Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Lagos has suspended Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, following the extravagant birthday party of his wife shortly after the d£ath of Herbert Wigwe, former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc. According to ChurchTimes, a top pastor of the church who did not want his name mentioned said the decision to suspend Iluyomade was in response to the public outcry against the party. “It was not Pastor Adeboye that suspended him.   The governing council decided to suspend him. I think it’s a decision in the right direction. Though some believe it is coming late. They needed to investigate some of the things people were saying against him and the church,” the source said. His suspension according to sources in the church was done via a letter over the weekend. He has since been replaced by Pastor Charles Kpandei of RCCG Resurrection Parish of Region 11 of the church. Wigwe, who died on board a chopper in February, was a member of the Parish. The late banker died alongside his wife, Chizoba; son, Chizi and a former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, (NGX Group), Abimbola Ogunbanjo. After his death, wife of the Parish Pastor, Dr Siju Iluyomade, held a lavish birthday that left tongues wagging. Distinguished personalities rejoiced with the pastor’s wife at the party, which took place at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos. Some persons expressed displeasure that Iluyomade held such party weeks after the tragic deaths of a prominent member of the church alongside his wife and son. However, signs that the family of Wigwe disapproved of Ilumoyade wife’s action became public when The City of David Parish was skipped in Wigwe’s funeral programmes.  Usually, churches where deceased persons attended in their lifetime play key roles at their funeral ceremonies.  But the Wigwe family replaced City of David with another RCCG Parish in Lagos for the funeral service.

Armed men kill Pastor, abduct worshippers in Ogun

Armed men early Sunday morning broke into a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) parish in Ogun State, killing the pastor and kidnapping some worshipers. Commander of the Ogun State So-Safe Corps, Soji Ganzallo, on Sunday morning, reported that the event happened at about 12 am on Sunday, July 2, at Abule-Ori in the state’s Obafemi Owode Local Government Area. According to him, his officers have already freed seven churchgoers and killed one of the captors during a raid. In a statement signed by the So-Safe Director of Information and Public Relations, Moruf Yusuf, Ganzallo “the special operation team of the Corps, Owode-Egba Zonal Command, under ACC Jimoh Rasaki Omoniyi, received a distress call that some of the members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Desire of Nations Parish, under Ogun Province 22, Abule-Ori in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area were attacked during a vigil, while seven members of the church were kidnapped and the pastor killed.” He stated that officers of the Corps were charged to go after the suspects to rescue the victims unhurt, stating that “the officers swung into action immediately.” Ganzallo further disclosed that the efforts of the corps yielded a positive result as “the seven victims were rescued unhurt while one of the kidnappers was killed and many of the suspects sustained serious injury during a fire exchange.” He also said that a manhunt had been started for the fugitive alleged kidnappers by the combined police and So-Safe Corps squad. He observed that the deceased kidnapper’s body had been left at a neighboring mortuary.