opinion

Lagos — Some years past, Ijesha Bus Stop on the busy Oshodi-Apapa Expressway was a notorious and dangerous spot in Lagos. It was unsafe both at night and daytime. In my presence one evening (in the 90's) some daredevil hoodlums attacked passengers waiting for commuter buses. And before anyone realized what was happening, the hoodlums had disappeared into the large expanse of swamp that extended from the edge of the road far into the canal, overgrown with wild weeds and trees. Resistance would attract instant attack with a dagger-knife or other dangerous weapons dangled before the victim. The reptiles (like frogs and toads) supplied the rowdy 'music' that rent the evening air, even as unpleasant odour emitted strongly from the stagnant canal and swamp waters.

All that has now changed. Ijesha Bus Stop has become a popular "refreshing" place among Lagos residents. It is also known to up-country visitors. What changed the story of the once notorious Ijesha Bus Stop? It was the coming of The Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries to the area in 2003. The Lord's Chosen (or The Chosen) as it is popularly called, is a rapidly growing church that has become a household name in Nigeria and beyond. In place of the coarse cry of reptiles that used to supply unwanted background 'music' at Ijesha Bus Stop, there are now overhead speakers 'emitting' Christian songs, gospel messages and the Church's popular jingle to passers-by. The danger that Ijesha Bus Stop once portrayed is now a thing of the past

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