MFM Member Commits Suicide

A prayer warrior at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, MFM, Mr. Joseph Ebuli, has been found dangling from the ceiling of a room in his two-bedroom apartment at Ejigbo, a suburb of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.

Mr. Ebuli, who is believed to be in his mid-forties, allegedly hanged himself at his 6, Sikiru Rotimi Street in Ejigbo.

In the suicide note he left behind, he blamed his action on some spiritual forces who had consistently fought him from childhood.

When P.M.NEWS visited the scene, a co-tenant explained that wife of the deceased had travelled with the children to their village in Ubulu-Ukwu, Delta State. The tenants who who refused to disclose their names to avoid being invited by the police for questioning over the incident, said they have never stopped asking questions since the suicide was discovered.

“Until his death, he was a member of the MFM zonal headquarters at Double Power Line, Ejigbo.

“Nobody suspected that he could take his life. Nobody knew the challenges he was facing. He was always lively. He exuded humility as his religious faith demanded of him,” a tenant revealed.

Investigations revealed that the son of the deceased, Jerry, discovered the suicide when he arrived home from school and found his father hanging on the hook of a ceiling fan with an electric wire tied round his neck. He quickly raised an alarm to draw the attention of neighbours to the incident.

A tenant who gave his name as Tunde told P.M.NEWS that it was Jerry who raised the alarm that attracted people.

“Jerry came back from school and met the front door of their apartment locked from inside. After repeatedly knocking without any response, the boy peeped through the window and discovered the shocking sight. The door to the apartment was forced open by residents and the body brought down.

“It was not funny. Why should a prayer warrior decides to take his own life when he knew the implications as a Christian?” asked Tunde.

In the suicide note he left, he wrote that he took his own life and that nobody, including his wife and landlord, should be held responsible.

He also warned that his corpse should not be taken home for burial but should be left for the Lagos State government.

The note which was given to P.M.NEWS read: “I know this may come as a surprise to many. My problem is not financial as may be widely perceived. It is due to some unseen forces and satanic powers I have battled from childhood.

“To my family; forgive me for being a total disappointment. To my landlord; sorry for the embarrassment this may have caused you. But endeavour to refund nine-month rent to my wife and children, being January to September, 2012 at N175, 000 per annum which I paid.

“To my friends and admirers, please know that everything that has a beginning must have an end. To Jerry and sisters, sorry, I abandoned you but God will always be with you all, Amen. Jerry, be nice to your sisters.

“To the Police, nobody is responsible for what happened. So, don’t harass or arrest nobody. My body should be left for the Lagos State government via the hospital management for burial. Everyone I have sinned against should please forgive me for I have forgiven every one that sinned against me, in Jesus name, Amen.”

Another resident of the area, who pleaded anonymity told P.M. NEWS that on the day of the incident, no member of the deceased’s family was at home.

“The man never showed any sign of frustration. He was working even though I don’t actually know where he worked. He was a staff of a company here in Lagos.

“He was seen as a Christian by everyone on the street and popular in his church. His death is beyond human reasoning because for anyone who understood the Bible to now go against it, then the situation is critical.

“His wife told us that the man refused to go to work on the fateful day, on the excuse that he was not feeling fine and had taken permission to rest for that day. The poor woman did not know that her husband was tired of life,” he disclosed.

P.M.NEWS learnt that the man’s wife, who was worried on sighting a number of people at their apartment, ran there from her shop nearby and met her husband’s corpse on the floor.

The corpse was later removed by the police from Ejigbo Station and deposited at the Isolo General Hospital mortuary.

When our correspondents visited the church which is under renovation, a member of the church said the presiding pastor and his assistant were on official assignment.

Another member of the church said they have been instructed not to speak on the incident. He, however, described the man as unassuming and easy going.

— Jamiu Yisa & Eromosele Ebhomele