I particularly find the kidnap story of Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki and how the event unfolded scintillating and at the same time hilarious.
Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki is a celebrity native doctor based in Anambra state, an eastern state of Nigeria. He is a popular figure that decided to take his traditional practice to the mainstream, engaging in all sorts of advertisements and publicity to garner patrons, unlike his colleague that engages in such practice in secrecy. He was said to be successful, having amassed some amount of wealth through his practice.
About two weeks ago, his hotel was evaded and he was kidnapped by unknown gunmen, his armed security officers were shot and killed by the unknown gunmen while he was nabbed and led to an unknown destination.
His ardent followers decided to do damage control and started disseminating the disinformation that Akwa Okuku turned into a lion and scared his abductors away immediately after he was kidnapped, some news also claimed that Akwa Okuku disappeared when he was kidnapped and appeared back in his bedroom. None of that was true. Akwa Okuku was released a few days back after he had paid some undisclosed amount as a ransom for his freedom; in fact he held a press conference to that effect, and that is how we got to know that all the news that has been circulated by his followers about his disappearance or turning into a lion are all false.
The fact that a famous and powerful native doctor that others visit to collect power for protection couldn’t protect himself from being kidnapped is quite interesting, the fact that an acclaimed powerful native doctor has armed security men guarding him who lost their lives in the process of guarding him is as well an interesting point to ponder upon.
The fact that his followers would come up with some fake news claiming that their leader turned into a lion and scared his abductors away as a way of damage control so as to protect the genuineness of their leader was another interesting development.
To be fair to Akwa Okuku, he is not the only spiritual leader that goes around with armed security escorts; even self-acclaimed powerful “men of God” have bunches of armed security escorts, outside being escorted by armed officers, as a two-factor authentication, they also do ride in bulletproof cars; the same pastors that do give their members mantles; holy oils, holy water, handkerchiefs, banners for protection. This is to say that those spiritual tools can only protect the members but are not powerful enough to protect the pastor; the pastor needs armed security men to protect him and his immediate family members.
I wonder how long some religious believers will continue to take and swallow these deceptions from their spiritual leaders. You cannot go to a poor native doctor to seek wealth, he ought to have helped himself if he has the power to give wealth as he claims, or doesn’t he want to be wealthy as well?; it does not make any logical sense. You cannot be going to a pastor who is riding in bulletproof cars with armed security guards for prayers for protection and the list goes on.
Whatever you believe in, just make sure you believe with your sense so you don’t continue to fall prey to some fraudsters parading as religious or spiritual leaders looking for gullible followers to defraud.
