President Muhammadu Buhari has been strictly advised by Senegalese marabouts hired by the Buhari administration to perform spiritual cleansing rites at the Aso Rock Villa to shut down the Aso Rock Villa Chapel, fresh facts emerged on Wednesday, September 16, 2015.
An informed source familiar with the details of the matter who spoke to Breaking Times on Wednesday on condition of anonymity disclosed that President Buhari, acting on the advise of Senegalese marabouts who performed spiritual cleansing at the Aso Rock Villa prior to his relocation from the Defence House to Aso Rock, advised him to shut down the Aso Rock Chapel as its continued existence was affecting spiritual activities being conducted on behalf of the President.
It will be recalled that Breaking Times first reported that President Buhari would not take residence at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa until the necessary “spiritual cleansing” has been carried out at the Villa by a team of Senegalese marabouts hired by the President. The Nigerian presidency denied the report.
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Popular Nigerian online newspaper, The Trent broke the news of Buhari’s decision to close the Aso Rock church. According to the report dated Thursday, September 3, 2015, eyewitness accounts disclosed how heavily armed men stormed the Aso Rock Chapel on Sunday, August 30, 2015 denying worshippers access to the church. The Trent reported further that, “Less than two months ago, the Children’s Church of the Villa Chapel where the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Oludolapo Osinbajo worships with the children was closed down on orders from above. According to our source, “Security concerns were given as reasons for the closure of the Children’s Church.”
ALSO READ: INTOLERANCE: President Buhari Orders Closure Of Aso Rock Villa Church (DETAILS)
The report by The Trent was immediately rebuffed by stiff denials from the Nigerian presidency with a statement by presidential spokesman Femi Adesina vehemently denying that such an incident ever happened. Prince Laolu Akande, a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and media adviser to Vice President Osinbajo also flatly denied the report in a set of tweets captured below:
PMB orders Aso Villa chapel shut? No such thing. Rumour spawned by fecund imagination gone into overdrive. PMB respects freedom of worship.
— Femi Adesina (@FemAdesina) September 5, 2015
Speculations that @MBuhari moved against Christian activities at the Aso Villa Chapel is a blatant lie. I personally worshipped there Sunday
— Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) September 3, 2015
Also claims that the children service at Aso Villa closed down is equally false. Please disregard some of the wild claims being reported.
— Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) September 3, 2015
RELATED: Buhari never shutdown Aso Villa Chapel – Adesina
A Vanguard newspaper report on Tuesday reiterated the earlier report by The Trent, quoting a source at the Presidency as saying: “As we speak, the children’s church remains shut and everything relating to the church has been removed. We had to beg them to allow us to remove our property. The children’s church has been turned into a store.”
According to Vanguard, “Informed Presidency sources familiar with the location of the Villa Chapel, which was built and inaugurated by President Olusegun Obasanjo, is said to be too close to Buhari’s bedroom and kitchen and must give way.”
RELATED: Presidency under pressure to relocate Villa Church, Mosque
In an attempt to strike a religious balance in anticipation of the public uproar that the decision could cause, President Buhari has also directed the relocation of the Aso Rock Mosque even though the location of the Villa Mosque has no bearing on the Villa Church noises reportedly disturbing President Buhari’s sleep.
