Jim Iyke’s deliverance: TB Joshua declares war on Nollywood

Jim Iyke, Nadia Buari and T.B Joshua

The fear of Prophet TB Joshua is now the beginning of wisdom in Nollywood. It appears that a battle line has been drawn between the evil forces that has held the movie industry captive for years and the popular Nigerian Pastor and founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).

Nollywood’s bad boy actor, Jim Iyke recently became the biggest Nollywood star to have been touched by the anointing of the popular tele-evangelist. The Njikoka, Anambra State-born actor completes a Nollywood trinity that include Tonto Dikeh and Camilla Mberekpe who had all publicly attested to the miraculous powers of the Arigidi, Akoko, Ondo State-born Prophet.

It was a mixed reaction of shock and surprise when pictures emerged online on Sunday, where the actor ‘fell under the anointing’ while being delivered by one of the SCOAN ministers simply identified as Wiseman Daniel. This happened during a capacity filled-hall service at the premises of the church in Egbe, area of Ikotun, Lagos.  

On a day that Boko Haram again went berserk killing over 90 students in Yobe State, Jim Iyke’s ‘deliverance’ surpassed the terror attack to become the biggest trending item in the blogosphere. However, most of the reactions wavered between surprise and criticisms.   

While unveiling the news of the still-trending deliverance on their official facebook page, SCOAN added “...As Wise Man Daniel ministered prayer in Jesus’ name, Nollywood actor Jim Iyke, of international fame, was arrested by the power of the Holy Spirit. The evil spirit that had tormented his life for many years began to manifest, confessing that it was the cause of his setback and disappointment. It (evil spirit) confessed that it was the biggest and that it was only God’s grace that had kept him (Jim).”

Jim Iyke’s surprise reaction

Surprisingly, Jim Iyke, has kept a cool mien at the face of mounting criticisms that has trailed his deliverance. EE learnt that the actor had allegedly accompanied a friend taking his sick mother to the church for healing before he was singled out for deliverance.

However, rather than blow hot as many would have expected, the actor waxed philosophical in his first comment via twitter. “About 99 per cent of celebrities wake up daily on wet pillows with fat bank accounts behind Versace shades. Christ’s made me part of the one per cent. It’s profoundly disturbing to certain people,” he confessed.

To further prove that he is a changed man, the actor added ““Met more miserable billionaires than unhappy income earners. Success is relative. I want it wholesome. It is either your bond or free. #Urchoice. It’s beautiful that is the least I can say. Nothing else truly matters. Absolutely nothing! God lives, whether you are a believer or not. #bless.”

On allegations that he was possessed by a witchcraft spirit, Jim Iyke said “Lol, witchcraft?! It is imperative that I underscore the fact that some people are oblivious of what transpired [during my deliverance]. Ignorance is no excuse. Tailor your opinion to who you know.”

Where is Nadia Buari?

Uncharacteristically, Jim Iyke’s popular lover Nadia Buari has been missing in action since news of his deliverance emerged. The actress has remained incommunicado and has distanced herself from the new wave of controversy generated by her lover’s deliverance at SCOAN.

For a about a year, the two lovers have become inseparable at public events. They have been sighted several times, including at the Lagos launch of Jim Iyke Unscripted, Ghana Music Awards and Dubai wedding ceremony between Tuface Idibia and Annie Idibia. The unconfirmed rumour spreading like wild fire within Nollywood is that pretty Buari, is so scared about her man’s new found romance with SCOAN and has allegedly abandoned Jim Iyke. Another insider also revealed that the Ghana super star, has also vowed never to accompany her man to SCOAN, for fear of being caught by the deliverance spirit.

Tonto Dikeh quits smoking by watching Emmanuel TV

Last August when Tonto Dikeh announced to her fans that she quit smoking, some thought the actress was making a prank. “I didn’t quit smoking by myself,” that was the actress candid confession. “I was watching a programme on TV with Prophet T.B. Joshua and he was laying hands on people and praying for them. I love to watch his programmes on Emmanuel TV. When he was praying, he said, ‘Lay your hands on the TV’ and I just laid my hands that day. I actually needed something else from God, not to quit smoking because I loved smoking! However, after praying I sat back and I think I slept off.”
But when she woke, something had happened to the actress. She revealed, “When I woke up, I took a stick of cigarette and I felt crazy. I couldn’t even imagine that I took it up to smoke in the first place. It felt like poison! I watch him every day. I write to him every time I can, I tweet on him. I think that he is a person that influences my life positively in a lot of ways just through the TV alone. I am following him because I think he is following Jesus. I just love him because he is a man of God and he has specially affected my life and my friends too.”

Camilla Mberekpe’s encounter with SCOAN

Like Tonto, actress Camilla Mberekpe had also revealed how she was exorcised of witchcraft at the church premises. The actress, whose deliverance was beamed online on April 28, also returned seven days later to testify.

Rising to the defense of the actress, an associate refuted allegations by many describing the actress as a witch.  Hear her, "Camilla never confessed to being a witch. There was an evil spirit that possessed her and it was the evil spirit that spoke through her. That does not make her a witch. You all should go spiritual and see all the things that go on around you. She took herself to church. Witches don't take themselves to church for deliverance. Witches don't operate that way. The evil spirit said, not Camilla said, so please let's understand this before we start calling her a witch.”

Nollywood Reacts

Segun Arinze - This Jim Iyke’s deliverance video at the Synagogue trending looks too contrived. It’s a big embarrassment. Has anyone ever seen demons come out live and speak? Una fit stand demons? Una carry Nollywood enter Church, abi? How much did he get paid? I’m just wondering. Make una stop all these nonsense play. Haba, this is stranger than fiction!

Charles Novia ­- So, Jim Iyke got ‘delivered’ of an evil demon in a popular church recently? Chai! Strange things happen. And after Jim Iyke’s deliverance, the ‘new’ Jim Iyke barked out at his PA about his shoes coming off his legs? All I can say is that ‘whatever floats your boat, brother’. Better send those poor women you have dated to the same church for the same.”

 Meanwhile, a leading actor in Nollywood who spoke with EE on the condition of anonymity disclosed that several of his colleagues are now very scared of attending SCOAN, after what happened to Jim Iyke.

“I believe what happened to Jim at SCOAN was real. And with that, many of us are scared of going to SCOAN, because we don’t know who is next. The worst hits are those with spirits of lesbianism and homosexualism. My brother, the way it is going it is like TB Joshua has declared a spiritual war on Nollywood because the industry needs a total spiritual cleansing.”