By Emmanuella Opara | November 10th 2026
KEY POINTS
- RCCG Continental Overseer Johnson Odesola has challenged Rev. Mosy Madugba to provide evidence for claims that former President Olusegun Obasanjo allocated oil wells to prominent Nigerian pastors.
- Madugba alleged that Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Bishop David Oyedepo and Pastor William Kumuyi benefited from the allocations.
- Odesola said official government records, petroleum licensing documents and company ownership details would be needed to substantiate the claims.
- He maintained that the existence of church-owned universities, hospitals and private aircraft did not prove that the religious leaders received oil wells.
MAIN STORY
The Redeemed Christian Church of God has challenged a cleric to provide documentary evidence for allegations that former President Olusegun Obasanjo allocated oil wells to prominent Nigerian pastors during his administration.
Pastor Johnson Odesola, the church’s Continental Overseer for South West Nigeria and the Middle East, defended RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, following claims by the founder and president of the Ministers’ Prayer Network, Rev. Mosy Madugba.
Madugba had alleged in a sermon circulating on social media that Obasanjo allocated oil wells to Adeboye, the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, and the General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi.
He reportedly linked the alleged oil interests to the establishment of universities, hospitals and schools by the religious leaders, as well as the acquisition of private aircraft by some of them.
In an opinion article published by Impact Nigeria on Tuesday, Odesola described the allegation as serious and called on Madugba to produce verifiable evidence, including government documents, petroleum licensing records and details of the companies allegedly involved.
He also asked the cleric to explain the basis of his information, including whether he witnessed the alleged allocations or obtained the claims from documents and credible sources.
Odesola argued that the reports surrounding the sermon had not presented documentary evidence establishing that Obasanjo allocated an oil well to Adeboye.
He, however, clarified that the absence of publicly available evidence did not establish that no such document existed, but maintained that the allegation remained unsubstantiated.
The RCCG overseer said he was responding specifically to the claim against Adeboye because of his longstanding membership of the church and relationship with its General Overseer.
He said he had been an RCCG member for more than five decades and had worked closely with Adeboye for over four decades.
Addressing the church’s institutional growth, Odesola said the establishment of its university and other facilities should not be treated as evidence that Adeboye personally benefited from an alleged political allocation.
He recalled that RCCG was founded by Reverend Josiah Akindayomi, while Adeboye became General Overseer in 1981 following the founder’s death in 1980.
Odesola also referred to Adeboye’s academic qualifications in Mathematics, Hydrodynamics and Applied Mathematics, arguing that the church’s expansion was the result of decades of missionary work, evangelism and financial contributions from members.
On Redeemer’s University, he said the institution was established by RCCG and received Federal Government approval in January 2005 before beginning academic activities in October that year.
He maintained that the existence of the university and other church institutions did not establish that Adeboye personally owned or received an oil well.
Odesola also questioned the suggestion that the use of private aircraft by religious leaders was proof of personal ownership or evidence that the aircraft were acquired through alleged oil interests.
He said any investigation into the claims should establish the identity or number of the alleged oil block, the company granted the licence, its shareholders and beneficial owners, the date of allocation and the government authority responsible for approving it.
While insisting that the responsibility to substantiate a specific allegation rested primarily with the person making it, Odesola said the church and relevant authorities should address legitimate questions if verifiable evidence emerged.
He urged Madugba to publish any documents supporting his claims or explain the sources of his information. If the allegation proved incorrect, he said, the cleric should be prepared to correct the record.
THE ISSUES
The controversy centres on whether prominent religious leaders benefited from oil assets allegedly allocated by the Obasanjo administration.
The allegations also raise questions about the distinction between institutions owned by religious organisations and the personal assets of their leaders.
Odesola’s response focuses on the need for documentary evidence to establish ownership, licensing arrangements and the identities of any beneficiaries. The claims remain allegations, with no supporting public documents identified in the material cited by the RCCG overseer.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“A statement made from a pulpit does not automatically become established truth because the speaker is a respected minister of the gospel or holds the title of professor,” Johnson Odesola, RCCG Continental Overseer for South West Nigeria and the Middle East, wrote.
“I do not claim that this personal experience makes the church immune from scrutiny. Neither am I suggesting that Pastor Adeboye or any other religious leader should be above the law,” Odesola said.
“Until such evidence is produced, Nigerians should distinguish between an allegation and a proven fact,” he added.
WHAT’S NEXT
Attention will be on whether Madugba provides the documents or other verifiable information requested by Odesola to support his claims. Any evidence produced could also provide a basis for scrutiny by the relevant authorities.
BOTTOM LINE
The RCCG has rejected the use of its institutional growth and the reported use of private aircraft as proof that Adeboye received oil wells from the Obasanjo administration. Odesola has challenged the accuser to produce verifiable evidence, stressing that allegations should not be treated as established facts without proof.
