Reverend Pastor Prophet Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa
Birth and Early Life
Date of Birth: May 18, 1909
Place of Birth: Porto-Novo, French Dahomey (now Benin Republic)
Parents:
Father: Oshoffa (a carpenter and a devout Methodist Christian of Egba origin from Abeokuta, Nigeria)
Mother: Alake Iyafo, who was from Imeko- afon, Ogun State.
Samuel Bilewu Oshoffa was born into a Christian home and was raised in the Methodist faith. His father, who longed for a male child after many years of waiting, dedicated him to the service of God even before his birth — a promise that would later influence his spiritual destiny.
Education and Early Career
Oshoffa had formal education in French and English, and he initially worked as a carpenter and trader. He lived a quiet and industrious life in Dahomey, known for his honesty and craftsmanship.
The Founding Vision (1947)
The defining moment of Oshoffa’s life occurred on 23 May 1947, after an extraordinary spiritual experience during an eclipse of the sun while he was in the forest near Porto-Novo.
He had gone there to look for ebony wood but reportedly became lost in the wilderness for three months. During that period of isolation, he claimed to have received a divine revelation and spiritual anointing directly from God.
According to his testimony:
He heard a heavenly voice commissioning him to preach repentance and salvation.
He received gifts of healing, prophecy, and spiritual discernment.
He was instructed to found a new church, which would later become the Celestial Church of Christ (Église du Christianisme Céleste).
When he eventually returned to civilization, many were astonished by his survival and the spiritual power that began to manifest in him — including miraculous healings and prophecies.
Establishment of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC)
Date of Founding: September 29, 1947
Place: Porto-Novo, Benin Republic
Oshoffa began preaching, and people from different Christian and traditional backgrounds began to follow him after witnessing healings, visions, and deliverances.
In 1951, the church was officially named “Celestial Church of Christ.”
The church expanded rapidly in Dahomey and neighboring countries, especially Nigeria, where Oshoffa relocated permanently in 1976 after facing religious persecution in Benin.
Growth and Spread in Nigeria
Upon arrival in Nigeria, the church gained thousands of followers almost immediately. The movement resonated with Nigerians because it combined:
Christian teachings,
African spirituality, and
Prophetic worship patterns.
The church emphasized holiness, divine healing, visions, angelic worship, and strict moral codes.
Key milestones:
First Nigerian Parish: Makoko, Lagos (founded by Sup. Evang. Alexander Bada in 1951; recognized by Oshoffa in 1976).
Headquarters in Nigeria: Imeko, Ogun State — now the international headquarters and site of the church’s annual pilgrimage.
Doctrines and Practices Introduced by Oshoffa
Oshoffa received spiritual revelations that shaped the church’s doctrines, such as:
Wearing white garments (Sutana) symbolizing purity.
Worship on Sundays, but also with strong emphasis on spiritual consultation and visions.
Use of holy water, incense, candles, and biblical symbolism in prayer.
Barefoot worship, following the biblical example of Moses on holy ground.
Strong belief in angelic communication, prophetic visions, and miracles.
Leadership Style and Personality
Oshoffa was known as a humble, spiritual, and deeply charismatic leader.
He emphasized love, peace, and purity among members.
He was regarded as a Prophet, Healer, and Teacher, and was often called Papa Oshoffa or Papa CCC.
He lived simply despite the large following he commanded.
Death
Date of Death: September 10, 1985
Place: Lagos, Nigeria
Cause: Injuries sustained in a car accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.
Burial: Imeko, Ogun State, Nigeria — now the church’s international holy city.
After his death, leadership succession led to internal divisions within the church, but his spiritual legacy endures across continents.
Legacy
Today, the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) has millions of members worldwide — in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Oshoffa is revered by members as the divinely chosen founder, and his birthday and the church’s founding day are marked with major celebrations annually.
His vision created one of the most significant African Independent Churches, blending Christian theology with African spirituality and prophetic ministry.
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Summary
Aspect Details
Full Name Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa
Born May 18, 1909 – Porto-Novo, Benin Republic
Died September 10, 1985 – Lagos, Nigeria
Profession Carpenter, Prophet, Founder of CCC
Founded Church September 29, 1947
Headquarters Imeko, Ogun State, Nigeria
Key Traits Visionary, Prophetic, Healer, Charismatic
Legacy Founder of one of Africa’s largest independent Christian churches
Nollywood actress Destiny Etiko has revealed that she lost ₦5 million after placing a bet during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the experience has discouraged her from gambling again.
The actress disclosed this in a post shared on her Instagram handle on Monday, shortly after the conclusion of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
“First time betting and I lost . Will never try it again. My 5M gone . In fact am done watching football. Anxiety almost killed me,” she wrote.
Etiko, however, did not disclose the particular bet she placed or provide further details about how she lost the money.
Earlier, during the World Cup final, the actress shared a series of updates on her Instagram Story, indicating she was backing Argentina to defeat Spain.
In one post, she wrote, “Argentina all the way. Who can’t wait?”
As the match progressed, she appeared increasingly frustrated with Argentina’s performance, posting, “This ball tough o. Argentina is pissing me off.”
She also praised Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for keeping the defending champions in the game, writing, “The goal keeper is the savior oo.”
PUNCH Online had reported that Spain defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the second period of extra time to hand Spain their second World Cup title, 16 years after their maiden triumph in South Africa in 2010.
Argentina played the closing stages with 10 men after midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off for a second bookable offence, while Spain dominated possession before eventually finding the breakthrough through Torres.
The self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, was arrested last Tuesday by the Intelligence Response Team led by Chief Superintendent of Police, Moses Lohor.
It was learnt that Adeyemi was arrested between 11am and 12pm inside a building in the Ijebu-Ijesa area of Osun State.
The suspect’s arrest followed a bench warrant issued against him by a Federal High Court in Abuja after he allegedly failed to appear for arraignment on eight counts.
Giving details of the operation that led to the arrest, a senior police officer in the Osun State Police Command, in an interview with Punch, said Adeyemi’s location was first uncovered in the Aregbe-Fakule area of Osogbo on July 9 after evading tracking by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The police officer said Lohor’s team took over the tracking after the DSS withdrew from the case.
He added that the operatives eventually located Adeyemi in Ilesa and subsequently arrested him on Tuesday morning.
The source said, “The Moses Lohor team were in Osun for surveillance ahead of the August 15 governorship election. They were mapping hotspots and collating other intelligence. As a matter of fact, the Lohor team didn’t report to the Osun State Police Command. They operated from the area commander’s office at Oke-Fia in Osogbo.
“Adeyemi was already on their watch list, but they didn’t act because the case was being handled by the DSS. Adeyemi’s last known location tracked by the DSS was Ibadan, but they couldn’t apprehend him because he regularly switched off his phone.
“A senior police officer from Abuja informed the Lohor team about the DSS withdrawal on Wednesday. Lohor’s team then decided to track Adeyemi’s location on Thursday, July 9. Incidentally, he was located around the Aregbe-Fakule area of Osogbo.
“Luckily for them, late on Monday night, Adeyemi’s location showed he was around Ilesa, and the Lohor team intensified efforts, which led to his arrest on Tuesday morning. The team only informed the Osun State Commissioner of Police when they moved in to make the arrest.”
Adeyemi is reportedly being detained at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, from where he is expected to be arraigned on July 27.
Popular Nollywood actress in the Yoruba movie industry, Biola Fowosere, has opened up about the challenges she faced after her ex-husband left their marriage.
It was reports that Biola, during an interview on African A List, said her ex-husband abandoned her and their children despite not doing anything wrong in the union.
The thespian who broke down in tears during the interview said her ex-husband is the only person she would like to ask why he abandoned his family.
Biola also spoke about battling severe depression after the separation, spending one year and six months in the hospital while struggling to recover emotionally.
According to the movie star, she almost lost her sanity, adding that it has been seven years since they lost contact.
She said, “The only person I’d really want to ask a question is my ex-husband. I’d really like to ask him what I did wrong because I did nothing before he left me and the kids. I want to ask what my children and I did to deserve what he did to us,” she said.
“I spent one year and six months in the hospital battling depression after he left. I almost ran mad. We are not in contact. Since he left, we haven’t seen him. He blocked us seven years ago.”
