• Why Many Church Members Respect Him

A lot of Men of God and Church Leaders took time off their busy schedule this week to bid His Grace, late Baba Aladura, Prophet Dr. Samuel Adefila Abidoye farewell.

Until his death in November, 2023 he was the Spiritual Father & Chairman of Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide (Ayo Ni O) from November 2006.

The Funeral Rites began on Monday 22nd April, 2024 and ended on Sunday 28th April, 2024. All activities took place @ Galilee Land, KM 24, Ilorin-Ibadan Expressway, Orile Igbon near Ogbomosho, Oyo State, except the Thursday event which took place in Omu-Aran.

The colourful burial ceremony began with a Service by Good Women & Youth Fellowship on Monday 22nd April, 2024.

On Tuesday 23rd April, 2024 there was Women Carnival in the morning and in the afternoon there was the Prophets, Pastors, Evangelists, Teachers, Model Parishes Service.

On Wednesday 24th, April, 2024 there was Health Programme, Sport Activities and the day ended with a Night of Tribute. On Thursday 25th April, 2024, there was the Celebration of Life of Papa at Omu Aran.

On Friday 26th April, 2024 there was Christian Wake Keep and Night of Praise. And on Saturday 27th April, 2024, there was Lying-In-State, Burial Service and Interment.

Reception followed immediately @ Galilee Primary & Secondary School.

And on Sunday 28th April, 2024 there was a Thanksgiving Service.

The Omu Aran venue was at Ile-Nla family compound and Government Secondary School, Omu Aran, Kwara State.

Let’s tell you more about this man of God who is well loved by many. Baba Aladura Dr. Prophet Samuel Adefila Abidoye was born on June 26, 1926, at Omu Aran, Irepodun Local Government of Kwara State. His father was Odetundun Abegunde, who was Oba Olomu of Omu Aran, which was in Ilorin Province at the time. His mother’s name was Tinuade Tinuola, daughter of Niniola, a princess of Oponda in the present Isin Local Government of Kwara State.

He started schooling at N. A. Primary School, Omu Aran in May 1934. He lost his father on the Valentine’s day of 14th February 1938 which made the Lovers’ Day especially memorable to him personally. Around 1938, a Reverend Man of God, Senior Apostle Prophet Peter Oyinloye from Rore near Omu Aran, introduced Baba Samuel Abidoye to the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. Meanwhile, just as other converts in other folds, this new convert and others were made to memorize the catechism, which they had to recite before baptism. Thereafter, he was given the grace of seeing our Lord Jesus Christ in his dreams and in a trance in 1958.

In 1934, he was one of the students that gained admission into Ilorin Middle School for their Secondary school from N. A. School (Primary School) Omu Aran. Due to the outbreak of the 2nd World War when Ilorin Middle School was occupied by some soldiers of the West Africa Frontier, he was among those that were later moved from Ilorin Middle School to Bida Middle School in the present Niger State.

After schooling, he began work with the Nigeria Railways in 1944, he worked with the Railways from 1944 to 1958, during which he was posted to various stations like Ebute Metta, Zaria, Iju water, Chika Makowa, and Iddo Railways station and he rose to the position of second class station Master. When the Nigeria Railways became a” Corporation” he was one of the few people who refused to work for this new Corporation and retired.

After this, he moved to Kaduna and secured another employment with the Ministry of Agriculture, Kaduna from 1958 to December 1960. At Kaduna, he worshipped at the National Headquarters of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Katsina Road Kaduna. As a church worker, he served with the secretariat as Tithe Collector, it was at this period that Baba Aladura Abidoye developed a

very close relationship with God. At Kaduna, his Spiritual life became defined, with noticeable Spiritual Developments. He was one of the founding members of the Ifeloju Band at the National Headquarters church Kaduna.

In 1960, he decided to travel to London to study Photography. He left Kaduna for Lagos through Omu-Aran to receive his mother’s blessing. He sailed out of Nigeria to London on the 5th of January 1961 and arrived in London after two weeks on the sea. Throughout the trip he was wearing his prayer gown and fasted three times during the journey before arriving in London via Liverpool. Throughout his approximately 48 years in England, he observed the Lenten period and never missed this fasting season even before the first Cherubim and Seraphim Church was founded by him and some fellow Seraph sojourners in the Whiteman’s land.

In 1965, a number of faithful Seraphs including Special Apostle David Olorunrinu Ogundele, Special Apostle Solomon Olu Ajibode, Late Snr. Apostle Prophet Rose Ozasuwa (first Church Secretary), Late Special Apostle Dr. Prophet Gabriel O. Fakeye, Late Special Apostle J.B. Opaleke, Late Baba Aladura Ijaodola of Ifesowapo, Late Special Apostle Prophet Peter Korode and Baba Aladura Samuel Abidoye started the Holy Order of The Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church in London at his house 18, Arlingford Road London.

At a point when his employer gave him the option of either choosing to attend church and worship his God or jettisoning this and retaining his job, he chose God and lost his job. He however worked with the British Railways from 1961 to 1965.

Although Baba Aladura Abidoye arrived in England virtually broke, with the special benevolence of God, he and his wife bought their house at 18, Arlingford, London SW2 2SU in August 1963. Coupled with starting a church in 1965, his training for the office of Baba Aladura by God became more pronounced when he started representing the Cherubim and Seraphim Church at the meeting of the World Council of Churches in 1976. He was able to learn a lot from other churches when he started interacting with heads of these churches through church gathering in Britain and Ireland (CBI). However, it was his ordination as Special Apostle in 1977, which put him put him firmly in a position to become a Baba Aladura.

Meanwhile, in 1970 the Secretary of the church, Special Apostle Prophet Peter Korode, and Baba Aladura Samuel Abidoye, as the Spiritual Leader, registered the church in the United Kingdom. In 2005 by the grace of God, The Most Rev’d Dr. Samuel Adefila Abidoye was unanimously appointed the Spiritual Father (Baba Aladura) of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide

Ayo Ni O. during the International Conference at Ibadan. His official installation as the Fifth (5th) Baba Aladura took place in May 2006 during the Mount Horeb Ascension celebration at Kaduna.  He is married and blessed with children.