Cultism: Lagosians, police react to CP’s confession

By Kunle Adeyemi and Olalekan Adetayo


The confession on his past association credited to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, generated controversy in police formations both within and outside the state on Monday.


Akpoyibo was quoted by newspapers as recounting his experience as a former member of cult groups at a function organised by the Bishop Mike Okonkwo-led The Redeemed Evangelical Mission in Lagos on Sunday.

The police boss reportedly told the bewildered congregation details of his escapades in a bid to get ”power” that would aid the performance of his policing work.

In all the police formations visited by our correspondents within the state on Monday, including the command‘s GRA, Ikeja headquarters, comments on the media report were on the lips of every policeman.

THE PUNCH also learnt that the report caused a level of disquiet at the police headquarters in Abuja.

A police source said many senior police officers viewed the publication as unnecessarily portraying them as cultists.

Another source said Akpoyibo himself was not comfortable with the media attention given to ”what was just a testimony to the goodness of God” in his life.

A cross-section of policemen who spoke with our correspondents on the condition of anonymity, said the publication was capable of further dragging the name of the force in the mud.

But the command‘s spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, said the comments made by Akpoyibo were not meant to cast aspersion on any group or individual and should not be misconstrued.

Mba, a deputy superintendent of police, said the message was meant to admonish the youth on the futility of seeking power in whatever form from occultic forces.

He said, ”I want Nigerians to know that the CP never made the comment to elicit negative reactions; he was in fact, making himself an example of what Godliness means in everybody‘s life.

”Particularly, he wanted police officers to know that the only source of guidance and protection they could have is from God and not any evil forces.

”We are all aware that policing a state like Lagos is not a tea party, hence the commissioner thinks that if the youth become more God-fearing, they will shun crime and the state will be the better for it.”


http://odili.net/news/source/2008/sep/9/414.html

Lagos CP gets kudos for testimony
Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The testimony of Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr Marvel Akpoyibo about his sojourn in the occult world before turning his life to God has provoked kudos from a cross section of Nigerians.



Mr Marvel Akpoyibo



At the 6th edition of Breeding Leadership and National Transformation (BLENT) organized by The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) in Lagos on Sunday, Mr Akpoyibo had revealed how, as a young officer, he was persuaded to seek spiritual protection in order to survive in the Nigeria Police.

He underscored the futility in reliance on charms for protection, saying he never felt secured until he accepted God into his life.

The police commissioner said he was prompted to give the testimony to encourage others who still believed that other beings besides God could provide protection, to retrace their steps.

Mr Akpoyibo said he felt joy in the church after the revelation, seeing the crowd that came out to give their lives to Christ.

The police boss, described by many as a committed Christian, said God had been helping him tremendously in policing Lagos State.

His words: “When I was made the CP of Lagos, after I signed a hand over note, I told God I will not deliver the note until he signed his own column. I want you to help me police Lagos State.

“Before then, we were losing 10 policemen everyday, and 20 to 25 cars were being snatched everyday. But I handed over Lagos State to the almighty God and since then crime has reduced.”

Akpoyibo, while calling for prayers for the Nigeria Police, urged youths and those indulged in crime to turn their minds to God.

“There is no virtue in criminal activities and those who engage in it will never end well,” he said, “Read the Bible and learn new things everyday. It will change your life for the better and take you away from sins.”

A female gospel minister, Evangelist Chioma Adeoye was full of praises for Akpoyibo’s courageous efforts at putting the devil to shame, saying the police boss deserves commendation from the Police as well as from all patriotic Nigerians.

Said she: “I want to congratulate the Lagos State commissioner for putting Satan into shame. When I read the story, my blood ran hot. I advise junior ones that nobody can give anybody protection but God. Satan cannot give anything for free. I want to assure Nigerians that there are many police officers who have not sold their conscience. I urge them to keep it up. God will see them through. I pray that God would continue to lift Akpoyibo up ahead of his enemies.”

Pastor John Olaifa, a Lagos-based cleric, also commended the courage of the police boss.

He said: “It is a highly commendable effort. It is a demonstration of courage. What he has done is the final lap of restituštion. It is the kind of testimony that is lacking in the church today. Testimony should serve as a propeller for one still in such sin to come out of it. This is the type of testimony that the Bible states. I commend him for coming out of the occult, not just coming out he has come out to let the world know the futility and nothingness in it.”

The man of God believed that this “wonderful testimony will serve as tonic for those members of the police who are still reveling in cultism and other people to quit the fold. You see testimony in this country is basically on physical blessing. The hosts of heaven rejoice when there is a testimony of this nature.”

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/sep/9/519.html

He need to get his head checked, hw can a security boss be talking paranormal gibberish, he should be sacked for being an emotionally unstable character. Any man that can go to church get euphoric and start lieing to people bout para normal stuff is nt fit to handle the sensitive posion of commisioner of police.

It's a sad fact that juju is alive and kicking in Nigeria, but the likes of Richy and Idupaul wont admit it.

@topic

If the man is punished for coming clean; then what do you do to about 90% Nigerian policemen who are unrepentant?

You need to live in police barrack to understand what i'm saying.

see as the guy cover floor!

OTOKOTO!!!!

I don't think if he ever belongs to any cultism before, this just to promote the church's business he's into.
If actually he was, he would have left the church premeses as corpes.
cultism my foot.

Dickhead,his delusions have punished him for real.And people wonder why things are bad in africa when delusional people are in charge,fantasizing in reality.

redsun:

Dickhead,his delusions have punished him for real.And people wonder why things are bad in africa when delusional people are in charge,fantasizing in reality.

u can imagine the delusional chracter vested to head the security of 15 million lagosians

I don't care about his cock and bull story of been a boys scout fraternity but the country should be well observant to know in who's hand they bestow the security of their citizen's lives and propties. Someone like him should be sent to Afghanistan for further training.

“Before then, we were losing 10 policemen everyday, and 20 to 25 cars were being snatched everyday. But I handed over Lagos State to the almighty God and since then crime has reduced.”

why don't nigerians just go ahead and appoint God the head of PHCN, nigerian police, lastma etc. this dude may need a mental checkup.

@topic

If the man is punished for coming clean; then what do you do to about 90% Nigerian policemen who are unrepentant? Undecided

You need to live in police barrack to understand what i'm saying.

For the first time, I'm in agreement with Nuzo.

When we lament the prominence of juju in naija, some people just laugh or wave it off as impossible. This is another example that our affairs are being run by people who would benefit from psychiatric evaluations.

He should be prosecuted.

He should be prosecuted.

The only form of cultism that is a crime in Nigeria is the college confraternities but any other thing besides that is legal in Nigeria. If you prosecute him, you can as well prosecute all the ogboni members in our government including Obasanjo.

Old things have passed away

i think she should resign because if they can jail students for being part of secret cults, why can't he be fired and jailed? The Nigerian police should at least ask him whether they used human beings as part of their sacrifices during his membership in that cult. Won't that translate to murder? And all other ogboni members in our govt should be fired too because they do human sacrifices yet, they turn around to arrest armed robbers and execute them for killing innocent citizens.

well, we should be human and considerate with the commissioner for being honest and real, he betrays no emotion because it was a church setting he made the confession, even if is sack or resigns, he has nothing to loose because he has made peace with God which is the ultimate. infact, he is not a hypocrite

stupid man. he doesn't even realize that the reason he's feeling "secured' is because he's no more on the beat. He has achieved the cushy post of commisioner, now he can afford to sit back and have the proceeds from graft and extortion just flow into his account. ole oshi.

ziddy:

stupid man. he doesn't even realize that the reason he's feeling "secured' is because he's no more on the beat. He has achieved the cushy post of commisioner, now he can afford to sit back and have the proceeds from graft and extortion just flow into his account. ole oshi.

e bee like say u be junior rank police officer. ur time will come 2