Olufunmilayo Immanuel Odumosu known predominantly as Jesu Oyingbo. Odumosu was born in 1951 to Jacob Odumosu, his grandfather was Joseph Odumosu a famous traditional healer in Ijebu Ode. He was trained as a carpenter, he served with the Post and Telegraph Department during World War II. He took up to his carpentary work after he disengaged from the Post and Telegraph Department and opened a shop in Lagos Island, close to Oil Mill Street. In the course of his work he was jailed for 6 months on the charge of debt as he constantly run at loss in his carpentary work. He attended many churches in Lagos before he claimed he received the vision from God that he was chosen as a Messiah, one who has come to redeem the world. He holds evening meetings close to his shop before his ministry began to boom. Jesu Oyingbo as a self- proclaimed Messiah founded the Universal College of Regeneration in Lagos and his personal beliefs includes liberal sexual rights and capital accumulation. It is shocking that, being a member of the UCR, one's property and partner could be taken at will by the Almighty Jesus of Oyingbo. He had on one account married a member's wife off to another member. He also married the wife of another man's wife to punish the man for maltreating his wife.
Jesu Oyingbo
As if all these were not enough, Odumosu declared himself as Jesus Christ in June 1959 as the long awaited Messiah who had come to lead the people from darkness to light. He joins Christainity, Islam and Paganism to form his own mode of worship. In his communal enclave were, a bakery, a barber shop, a printing press, construction company and so on. It was indeed another world like the biblical Jerusalem on its own. Several inscriptions such as "the lion of Judah", "Immanuel the Christ", "prince of peace", Merciful Father", etc were on the buildings he owned on Immanuel street and that of Maryland.
It sounds funny that Odumosu baptize new members, not with water as done in the Bible and not with any other thing one could think of but with 9 strokes of the cane! After which the new member is free to live in the estate. He organizes a film show session every evening in the enclave and neighborhood. It was always festive like, full of pump and fanfare as everyone in the enclave would gather to watch movies with a projector provided by Jesu Oyingbo.
The Enclave
Jesu Oyingbo married over 30 wives with an estimated number of 80 children. However, not all his children believed him or his religion, one of his daughter Bukola Immanuel said " I don't accept him as my savior He's my biological father. I have only Jesus Christ as my savior".
Jesu Oyingbo really shook Lagos and other Southwest cities between the early 1970's and late 80s until 1988, when the self- acclaimed Jesus of Oyingbo died at the age of 73, just like every other man in a hospital. Every of his members were gripped in confusion. " How could Jesus Christ die on his second coming?" They wondered if he would resurrect on the third day but till this moment, Jesus of Oyingbo has never resurrected. After his death, his ministry cracked. His children followers and his wives entered into a serious war because he left behind no will before his death. His eldest son, Olukayode Immanuel Odumosu took the matter to court and in 1977, the Court ruled in favor of his children who later evicted their father's followers living in the enclave. Today in the enclave, there are left abandoned and dilapidated buildings dominated by thugs and weed smokers. His he Jesus?
