Twenty-four hours after defending his unconventional tongue-to-tongue anointing ritual, Bishop Alfred ‘Lahojah’ Ogunnusi of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church has backtracked his stance.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the cleric sparked widespread controversy on social media after a viral video captured him performing the ritual with a youthful bishop.
Within the footage, Mr Ogunnusi stands beside a church member clad in a garment bearing the official emblem of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church. Holding a microphone, he proceeds with the anointing ceremony.
The pastor who went viral for transferring anointing to his members by means of tongue-to-tongue kiss!ng has defended his actions, claiming that the whole lot he did is within the Bible and that he has accomplished nothing fallacious.
(Mudashiru Obasa Might D Seyi Tinubu Boniface Peter Obi) pic.twitter.com/dd2OCqfXQk
— Oxygist (@oxygist) March 4, 2025
A youthful bishop kneels earlier than him as Mr Ogunnusi pours water over his head thrice earlier than handing him the bottle to drink from.
After taking a sip, the bishop watches as Mr Ogunnusi extends his tongue, prompting him to do the identical, leading to a quick tongue-to-tongue contact.
The ritual ignited intense debate on-line, with many expressing shock and disapproval. Regardless of the backlash, Mr Ogunnusi initially defended his actions, claiming they have been rooted in biblical observe.
He stated: “I greet everybody; it shall be effectively with us. My identify is Eminence Baba Aladura Alfred Oluwasegun Okikiola Ogunnusi, referred to as Lahojah. I thank God that the whole lot that occurred occurred whereas I used to be nonetheless alive and never after I used to be gone. The work of God is not going to be destroyed by means of me, and the whole lot I do is biblical. I don’t do something that’s not biblical. Since I’ve been practising this, the Bible has been my information, and I’ve accomplished the whole lot by means of the blood of Jesus.
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“Please take a look at Genesis 48:10, which says: ‘Now Israel’s eyesight was poor due to outdated age; he might hardly see. Joseph introduced his sons to him, and his father kissed them, embraced them, and suggested them.’ Are you able to hear me now? That’s it! This isn’t from my data however from God.”
The pastor who went viral for transferring anointing to his members by means of tongue-to-tongue kiss!ng has defended his actions, claiming that the whole lot he did is within the Bible and that he has accomplished nothing fallacious.
(Mudashiru Obasa Might D Seyi Tinubu Boniface Peter Obi) pic.twitter.com/dd2OCqfXQk
— Oxygist (@oxygist) March 4, 2025
Apology
Nevertheless, in a viral video on Wednesday, he withdrew his assertion and apologised to the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church and the Christian neighborhood.
Tendering his apology, he stated: “My identify is Eminence Baba Aladura Alfred Oluwasegun Okikiola Ogunnusi, also referred to as Lahojah. Please don’t be indignant. Everybody who believes what I did was fallacious, please forgive me. I search forgiveness. What occurred within the viral video was what I did, and I led the session. I greet all pastors and Christians and ask them to forgive and never be indignant.”
Breaking Information: “I’m sorry” – Bishop in Tongue-to-Tongue Anointing and Ordination of a Cherubim and Seraphim Church Bishop lastly Apologizes
pic.twitter.com/1o1sETX3JI
— Hon.Omogbadebo Oluwasegun (@OOmogbadebo) March 5, 2025
Impostor
In the meantime, this newspaper discovered that Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church, reacting to the controversial tongue-to-tongue anointing and Mr Ogunnusi’s defence, said on its Fb web page on Tuesday, distancing itself from him.
The church condemned the act in a press release titled ‘Vexatious Anointing of a Bishop by a Self-Acclaimed Church Chief: Our View’.
They described it as disturbing, labelling Mr Ogunnusi’s actions despicable earlier than each God and man.
“The Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria (the umbrella physique for all little children of St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase) wouldn’t have dignified these characters with a phrase of response, however for the audible point out of the identify of the founding father of our church and the seen show of symbols related to our church within the video.
“Although the lead character within the video has since ‘clarified’ his abominable motion in one other video additionally now circulating on social media, It could curiosity individuals to notice that each one the characters within the viral video will not be identified members of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, which regulates all acts and conducts of member church buildings within the Cherubim & Seraphim organisation”, the church stated.
Investigation
Moreover, the church said its findings.
The church famous, “Upon investigation, we gathered that the purported anointing was performed someplace within the Ogijo space of Ogun State, and the person being anointed is recognized as Benjamin, a.ok.a. Ajigbo (who is claimed to be an Edo State-born self-acclaimed prophet) and who has a makeshift ‘church’ on the Adamo space of Ikorodu, in Lagos State.
“The anointer likened himself to Israel, who was stated to be superior in age and will hardly see clearly earlier than he kissed his sons and embraced them. (For certain, the biblical Israel couldn’t have accomplished such an abominable act as was seen within the viral video whereas ‘kissing’ his youngsters.”
The church emphasised that its members and practices strictly abhor idolatry, expressing disappointment that individuals usually mistake anybody wearing white for a Cherubim & Seraphim Church member.
They additional said that Mr Ogunnusi’s point out of Moses Orimolade suggests he recognises the non secular affect of the church’s founder and is making an attempt to take advantage of his identify to draw unsuspecting followers.
“There are different, albeit respected, Christian denominations whose members are clad in white clothes like ours. Our church has persistently highlighted that it’s simple for anybody to enter right into a market, procure a white clothes materials, and provides it out to a tailor to sow for them and therefore use that to assert they’re members of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church organisation.
“It ought to be clear to the Christian neighborhood worldwide and most people that each one recognised members of the Cherubim & Seraphim organisation are identified to and recognised by the management of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria. Inversely, it’s clear that these characters in all probability cherished to be recognized with a white-garmented church akin to ours by cladding in such attire. Nonetheless, they refused to enter the Unification Church fold as a result of they might not ‘shriek’ themselves of their idolatry practices.”
The church said that whereas they’d not stop anybody from invoking their founder’s identify, they stated ‘his legacy can be higher honoured if those that accomplish that additionally worship God in the great thing about His holiness.’
They urged the general public to know that merely calling on the founder’s identify doesn’t mechanically make somebody a church member.
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