The story of a Nigerian pastor that decided to test the power of God by entering into the lions den in a zoo in Ibadan Nigeria was a myth for many years, in order to decipher the mystery, I decided to carry out some research and was shocked to find out that the story was real.
It all happened in the zoological garden of the University Of Ibadan (UI) in the year 1991 during the Easter celebration. People from all works of life were all gathered at the Ibadan zoo with their loved ones to fill their eyes and take some good photos. There were wide array of animals comprising of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, but the center of attraction were the lions.
The city of Ibadan in Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria is one of the largest in West Africa. It is home to the first university in Nigeria, University of Ibadan, established by the colonial masters in 1948. One of the most famous features of this great citadel of learning is its Zoological Garden, which is one of the oldest in the country.
The zoo plays host to various animals but the most legendary of them all are the lions. For many visitors, a trip to the famed zoo is not complete without seeing the majestic lions. So it was during the Easter Lenten season of 1991, all of Ibadan was buzzing with excitement of the season and naturally, one of the prime spots of attraction for many families was the University of Ibadan Zoo. Families, couples and tourists trooped into the zoo that fateful day.
Unknown to everybody, there was one pastor or prophet as he was called, Daniel Abodunrin who was in their midst but with a different intention – he had come to test the power of God by entering into were the lions were kept to replicate the story of Daniel in the bible.
There are different versions of how he managed to enter into the lions den. One version said he pleaded with the zoo keepers and he was allowed to enter, another version said he pleaded with the zoo keepers but they refused to let him in, but he decided to sneak into where the lions were kept without their knowledge.
His goal was to demonstrate something that had never been done before. His plan was to replicate what was written in the Holy Bible thousands of years ago. It was the story of a Jewish boy in Jerusalem named Daniel who was captured by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who served in the king’s court until the time of Cyrus, the Persian emperor.
One thing was clear: Abodunrin did not listen to any of those warning him. Terrified families who were enjoying their picnic looked on with a bewildering mixture of shock and terror, screams rented the serene atmosphere of the zoo but Abodunrin was just chanting Bible verses at the top of his voice and speaking in tongues.
He made it into the enclosure of the lions and stared at them. The lions stared back at him. It was a most discomforting sight for everyone, including the lions. An exchange of death stares and at a point, a deafening silence fell over the whole place. It was all like a movie. Devout Christians in the crowd were waiting to see a faith-enhancing miracle while some others toughened their minds for the bloodiest drama of the century.
Pastor Daniel Abodunrin was dressed in a red rob with a Bible in his hand. His action drew the attention of all visitors in the zoo. While some were screaming for him to get out, others were watching to see him prove the power of God.
When Daniel Abodunrin, entered the cage, the lions were startled and began to retreat, but Daniel Abodunrin, mistook their retreat to be as a result of the power of The Almaty God. He was speaking in tongues and calling fire ! fire! Holygost fire! blood of Jesus and the lions kept running away from him. Then suddenly to the amazement of everyone Daniel Abodunrin, started chasing the lions. It was an horrendous experience as fear and confusion were the only things left on the faces of onlookers.
There is an African parable that says when you chase a goat to the wall it will turn back at you. All of a sudden the lions stopped running, it was like play was over is now time to feed. Then with great force and anger all the lions pounced on Daniel Abodunrin and began to tear him apart. There was loud scream from onlookers, but the lions did not stop.
Abodunrin tried to pull himself from the claws of the lions to escape but it was too late, they used their strength to pine him down, then one of the lions headed straight for the neck and gave him a hard bite. Mr Abodunrin began to stretch like a chicken whose head has been cut off, till he gave up the ghost.
There were tears and sorrow among onlookers as the lions began to tear his flesh apart, his blood began to flow like a stream of water. Nobody dares to enter to rescue him.
Prophet Daniel Abodunrin is remembered by most Nigerians to date for his miracle mission that later became his doom.
Source: Akeem, Abiyamo.