The Man Who Claimed to be ‘God Himself’ on Earth OLUMBA OLUMBA OBU But Still Died! Part 3

When preaching, Olumba Olumba Obu Centres on two things: love (ima) and power (odudu). 

Power of the Holy Spirit.

Obu preached against polygamy, joining secret cults and traditional institutions.

Obu is accused of preaching existential millennialism, epoch-based messianism and even a complicated form of pantheism that some have interpreted to be polytheism.

One of Obu’s most controversial teachings is that in taking the sins of humanity, Christ himself had in essence become a sinner.

He gave an example of the turning of water into wine as an example since wine can cause intoxication.

Teachings like these earned him serious acidic criticism.

There are numerous accounts from various people of Olumba Olumba Obu appearing to them in their homes even when they were in different time zones and thousands of kilometers apart.

For those in this category, they strongly believe it was a demonstration of the omnipresence of Olumba.

Olumba Olumba Obu never travelled anywhere outside his town and on very rare occasions when he did leave his base, he went on foot and it was to the original bethel (BCS worship centers are called bethels) located on 26 Mbukpa Road where his wife stayed and it was not far at all.

Although he was not schooled, Olumba Olumba Obu had a vast impressive knowledge of the Bible and he dazzled not a few with his ability to endlessly quote verses to support his points.

On the 11th of January 1981, Rosalind Hackett was conducting a two-hour interview with Olumba Olumba Obu at his 34, Ambo Street, Calabar (PO Box 49) headquarters and he made over 30 different quotations to buttress his points.

Rosalind Hackett stated that on the 23rd of January, 1983, an anonymous informant revealed to her that a delegation from the Brotherhood of the Cross and the Star arrived at the headquarters of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (also called AMORC or the Rosicrucian Order) in San Jose, California, United States in 1981.

She also stated that there were secret moves made to have Olumba Olumba Obu become a full member of AMORC.

The body is a global fraternal association dedicated to studying the most elusive mysteries of life and the Universe.

His critics derisively referred to him as the ‘Jesus of Calabar.’

He predicted that soldiers would never rule Nigeria again and that all coup attempts will be crushed.

He taught that theocracy is the only way to solve all of the world’s problems that democracy is a manmade project that cannot work out any lasting solutions.

His followers take him to be The Messiah and The Eighth and Final Reincarnation of God with Jesus Christ being the seventh.

In 2001, in the face of constant media criticism of his kingdom, Olumba Olumba Obu banned the unapproved coverage of their events.

Olumba Olumba Obu always stressed love as the core of his teachings and once predicted that those who do not have love in their hearts would cease to exist by 2000 AD.

He taught that the actual reign of Christ’s glory on earth was to start in 2001.

As far back as 1972, Olumba Olumba Obu sent pastors to start bases in North America.

Olumba Olumba Obu was said to eat very little quantities of food, sleeps very little and feasted mainly on fruits, preaching vegetarianism.

He lived a very simple life, preached for hours on end to his hundreds of daily visitors and was always simply dressed or at best, wearing his trademark red or white soutane.

At other times, he would be clad in just shorts or wrapper with his singlet or a shirt on.

He was not known to amass vast material property.

Olumba did not belong to any church, he did not go into any period of seclusion and he was said to have the knowledge of the Bible because he was The Author.

He was accused of saying only the Book of Revelation was useful in the Bible while also preaching the fallibility of Jesus and the idea of reincarnation, to the alarm of many other Nigerians.

Olumba Olumba Obu shunned formal Western clothing, shoes and even went without wristwatches.

His preaching was done mainly in his native Efik language.

Professor Assassu Inyang-Ibom, formerly of the Esom Fraternity Company of Nigeria said he converted to a worshipper at the BCS when he carried out his own research into the occult and mysticism.

He also claimed to have seen Olumba Olumba Obu during his travels to the astral world.

BCS members pray directly to Olumba!

The Brotherhood in the name of the BCS signifies the unity and love for all of God’s creations while the Cross is an allusion to sharing the sufferings of Christ and others.

The Star is believed to represent the glory and reign of Christ but in some other instances, Olumba Olumba Obu explained it to mean the ‘hidden name for the light of the New Age’ and that ‘the Brotherhood of the Cross and the Star is going to be the STAR, the new name for all the Churches in the world.’

In the BCS, only the New Testament is used and the Old Testament was very rarely referred to by Olumba Olumba Obu in his teachings.

The BCS is also called the Christ’s Universal Spiritual School of Practical Christianity.

Adherents do not celebrate Holy Communion but instead pour out on the streets of Calabar to celebrate the return of Christ to earth in the form of Olumba Olumba Obu.

In addition to organizing these love feasts (where they eat together), celebrating Christmas and Easter, they also have a special anniversary celebration in August.

There are weekly fasts on Thursdays from 6am to 6pm.

BCS respects other faiths and even draws on them, constantly calling for cooperation among various faiths.

Yes, there is also the 144,000 Virgin Sisters.

In the BCS, the belief holds that Adam reincarnated as Christ and now has finally reincarnated as the Leader, Olumba Olumba Obu who is now in the form of His Holiness, Olumba Olumba Obu the First Begotten Son of the Leader Olumba Olumba Obu who is in turn accompanied and assisted by Eve, who also reincarnated in the form of the Virgin Mary and now as Her Holiness, Ibum Olumba Obu and the First Daughter of Olumba Olumba Obu.

In short, the first son and daughter of Almighty are right here on this planet.

Fornication, adultery, abortion, stealing and smoking are seriously frowned upon in the BCS.

In the 1980s, a pamphlet titled Divine Instruction for the Followers of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star from the BCS listed a total of 56 sins.

Members are also advised against polygamy or joining secret societies or patronizing witchcraft, sorcery and the likes.

OOO taught that it was necessary to subdue the flesh in order to gain spiritual advancement.

Although Olumba Olumba Obu said there is really no hierarchy in the service of the Lord, the body has an organogram.

At the helm of affairs is Olumba Olumba Obu who then appoints bishops to head the various dioceses or bishoprics.

Bishops are identified by their purple girdle on their vestments.

Each diocese has 10 districts and several bethels each of which is headed by a representative or elder chosen with Olumba’s approval.

Worshippers carry the pictures of OOO about and pray to it.

Unlike other faiths, adherents of the BCS do not believe that Jesus Christ will descend from the sky.

As far as they are concerned, he is already here right on earth with them.

A believer in the BCS, Sybil Aganaba explained this thus:

“The difference between the worldly people, and the children of God is, the worldly people are still gazing at the sky believing that one day, the Christ will crash land to this earth, while we the children believe that God is here on earth, and we have seen him.”

Fasting is not obligatory for followers.

You can decide to fast or not. However, it is recommended during the pilgrimage to Biakpan.

In Biakpan where OOO was born or where he was said to have physically manifested on earth, there is the Pool of Bethesda which is believed to have healing powers.

Pilgrims to the site bath in it when they visit but dipping in the pool is not allowed on Thursdays.

For pilgrims interested in having dips in the pool, there are specific guidelines on how to do that correctly.

Before you dip into the water, a pilgrim must do the following, according to the regulations outlined by OOO himself:

1. Pay the tithe in the morning.

2. Make a confession of all your sins when prompted to do so.

3. Be silent and orderly.

4. Do not be faster than the conductor in charge of the prayers.

5. Do not enter the water until you are told to do so.

6. All pilgrims must dip into the water in stark nakedness.

7. Not even a single piece of underwear, hairnet or fabric must be on their bodies.

In 1983, some members of the BCS were implicated in burning down the controversial Mother Jah Shrine, a healing home notorious for using violent and questionable tactics in healing and exorcism.

The BCS worship centers are not called churches but BETHELS.

In July 2013, the BCS released a press statement revealing that they had contributed a sum of over N14billion to support the Cross River state economy.

For members of the BCS, the letters OOO, standing for the names of their leader, are not to be joked with.

They believe these three letters have some special spiritual and protective powers leading some to paint it on their houses, vehicles and others.

Incense is not used during worship, same with music, hand clapping or musical instruments.

They have a special form of music which is called ‘mouth music’ basically a type of rhythmic humming and bellowing.

There is baptism by immersion in water, washing of feet before congregational prayers on Sundays, prayer in the ‘powerful name of Obu’ and the use of holy water and oil.

Their number stood at 600,000 in 1980.

As at 2000, the BCS had one million members across the globe.

Today, they are believed to reach two million of Olumba’s adherents on earth.

It is believed that the native Biakpan language spoken is the same that Adam spoke in the Garden of Eden.

Also Biakpan is said to be derived from the following Efik words: Obio Akpan Abasi meaning ‘City of the Son of God.

To be Continued…