A senior cleric of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Johnson Odesola, has questioned allegations that former President Olusegun Obasanjo gifted oil wells to some prominent Nigerian church leaders, insisting that those making the claims must provide evidence.
Odesola, the church’s Continental Overseer for South West Nigeria and the Middle East, specifically challenged Reverend Mosy Madugba, founder of the Ministers’ Prayer Network, to substantiate his claims against RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
Madugba had sparked controversy after alleging in a sermon circulating online that Obasanjo allocated oil wells to Adeboye, Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church and Pastor William Kumuyi of Deeper Life Bible Church.
He reportedly suggested that the alleged oil interests helped finance some of the religious leaders’ investments in universities, hospitals, schools and private aircraft.
However, Odesola, in an article published by Impact Nigeria on Tuesday, argued that the allegations required more than public statements to establish their credibility.
He called for the release of official records showing the alleged oil allocations, including licensing documents, company ownership information and government approvals.
The RCCG leader also demanded an explanation of how Madugba obtained the information, questioning whether he had access to official records or was relying on information from other sources.
“A statement made from a pulpit does not automatically become established truth because the speaker is a respected minister of the gospel or holds the title of professor,” Odesola wrote.
He noted that despite the attention generated by the allegation, no publicly available documentary evidence had established that Adeboye received an oil well from the Obasanjo administration.
“This does not establish that no document could ever exist. It establishes that the allegation remains unsubstantiated in the public domain,” he said.
Odesola further explained that his response was informed by his longstanding relationship with Adeboye, revealing that he had been part of RCCG for over 50 years and worked closely with the church leader for more than four decades.
He argued that RCCG’s growth and establishment of educational institutions should not automatically be linked to claims of personal financial benefits from government officials.
Tracing the church’s history, Odesola said it was established by Reverend Josiah Akindayomi, while Adeboye assumed leadership in 1981 after the founder died in 1980.
He also pointed to Adeboye’s academic background in Mathematics, Hydrodynamics and Applied Mathematics, maintaining that the church’s development resulted from years of evangelism, missionary activities and support from its members.
Addressing questions surrounding Redeemer’s University, Odesola said the institution was founded by RCCG, received government approval in January 2005 and began academic operations in October of the same year.
He maintained that the existence of the university and other church projects was not proof that Adeboye personally owned an oil well.
The pastor also cautioned against assuming that private jets used by religious leaders were necessarily their personal property or financed through alleged oil interests.
He insisted that anyone seeking to establish the claims must disclose the particular oil block, the company that received the licence, its ownership structure, the allocation date and the government authority responsible for the decision.
While defending Adeboye against what he described as unsubstantiated claims, Odesola acknowledged that religious leaders and institutions should not be exempt from public scrutiny.
“I do not claim that this personal experience makes the church immune from scrutiny. Neither am I suggesting that Pastor Adeboye or any other religious leader should be above the law,” he wrote.
He urged Madugba to make his evidence public or clarify the source of his information, stressing that any incorrect claims should be corrected.
“Until such evidence is produced, Nigerians should distinguish between an allegation and a proven fact,” he added.
