Coronavirus: Nigeria mega churches arrange dia sef on top empty church
Di halls for big-big churches dem for Nigeria don turn empty afta dem bin threaten and arrest some pipo to make sure say di goment ban on large gatherings to prevent di spread of coronavirus.
Infact di oga of an enforcement team for Abuja, di kontri capital use bible verse as dem bin arrest one pastor wey go against di ban, e say, "If I go fit use di words of Prophet Mordechai: 'For time like dis one, make we do wetin dey appropriate.'" Di pastor arrest na like di kain of big pastors dem wey dey work with large congregation for Nigeria with im burgundy suit, shiny black shoes and hair wey dem don finish oil on top am, just dey shine anyhow. Dis preachers dem don change how Christainity be for Nigeria with dia messages dem, prophecies and promise of miracle. Conspiracy theories One of di famous pastors na Prophet TB Joshua, wey last month say God tell am say coronavirus pandemic go end by 27 March just few days before federal goment order say make dem lockdown Lagos , Ogun and Abuja. TB Joshua is one of Nigeria's most flamboyant and controversial pastors When 27 March reach and nothing happn na so im change mouth oh, say wetin e mean be say di sickness go stop for wia im start for Wuhan and say e don stop already. Oda pastors sef don dey accused say dem dey spread fake news, and dey pour sand-sand inside di garri of efforts to stop di spread of d virus. Di one wey create di biggest kasala na Christ Embassy pastor wey for video wey go viral bin dey link coronavirus with 5G network, wey im say na plan to create "new world order". Scientist don tay-tay condemn dis kain tok, say di idea say 5G and Covid-19 get link na "complete rubbish" and no dey possible biologically. Online prayer services For some Christians, like Anglican and Catholic churches dem, more tins suppose happun so dis big church pastors dem no go get di power to dey use poor pipo anyhow. Many worshippers say they miss going to church, especially over the Easter period "Di pipo wey dey sell miracle water, holy oil and all dat, time don reach make dem show demselves" na wetin one woman I meet for Lagos tok. But many of dis big churches wey dey run multi million dollar businesses don find new way to adapt to di changes wey di virus don bring. Dem don dey host online church service with families dem wey go wear dia Sunday best and sometimes head of house go collect offering wey dem go give for church. Di churches sef dey make donations give goment and poor pipo wey fit help dem retain popularity. Empty streets for Holy week But still many Christians dem wan enta church and last Sunday tough pass as e be Palm Sunday. Holy week processions, like this one pictured in 2017, have been banned For nornal day, road for done full with Christians as dem dey carry palm leaves to signify as Jesus enta Jerusalem for donkey. But for dis Sunday, road dry like crayfish. But I bin still meet some pipo dem, four of dem wey bin dey go house afta dem go church for pesin house. These three women attended a service at a private residence in Lagos When I ask dem why dem no gree hear word of pray alone for your house, one of dem tell me say: "Bible tok say wia two or three pipo gather, e dey dia, e no say one pesin." 'Prayer warriors' I come waka go di headquarters of di Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries for Ogun State, wey dey popular for di way dem dey pray. Di security tell me say service no dey, not even for online and say na one booklet wey dem dey call " Thirty Days Prayer Retreat ", wit Bible passages na im dem dey read till di end of di lockdown. E no go shock me, if di "prayer warriors" for di church, finish dis book within di two-weeks of di shutdown.