The founder and senior prophet of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry (CMDM), Jeremiah Fufeyin, has announced that his spiritual products, including ‘Pool of Bethesda water’ and ‘Red Sea water,’ will not be sold anymore.
Prophet Fufeyin’s declaration comes after weeks of public scrutiny and pressure from social media activist Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), who questioned the legitimacy and regulatory approval of selling his spiritual products (miracle water, perfume, spiritual shirt, soap, mustard seed and one-shot oil).
PREMIUM TIMES reported that VDM went an extra step of testing the products, which claimed to have “miraculous healing powers,” on a large group of disabled individuals, but no results were observed. In the senior Prophet’s defence on Sunday, he stated that the products would not be effective unless supported by a genuine love for him.
However, on Wednesday, during the church’s August Break program 2024“Break the Limit” (Day 1), the publicity-loving prophet reversed his stance, stating that anyone selling his spiritual products would be cursed.
He said: “I want to make it clear to you all tonight. The spiritual items are not for sale. Anybody out there selling these spiritual items to you, I will lay a curse on them because it’s not for sale’’.
The 53-year-old prophet noted that users must register at CMDM to receive the spiritual items for free, which will be prayed over, stressing that proper guidance will be put in place to prevent chaos.
“You (users) have to go and register on the mountain (CMDM), then they (those in charge of the products) will give it to you for free. They will pray on it on the mountain, and then I (Fufeyin), your prophet, will tell you how to use it. You will be surprised because you are not here to test; you already believe. Don’t test it; my prayer is to believe. Don’t test why we register because we want to control the crowd.
“Something that has no instructions or guidance is useless. We can tell everybody to rush and take the spiritual items, but no, a stampede will occur. That’s why we have to guide you people to receive the blessings, and anybody out there selling them will receive a curse from me.”
However, VDM, responding on Saturday to the controversial prophet’s remarks, said on Instagram, “I went on his page, and now, he says he is giving it for free. Papa (Prophet Fufeyin), even if you provide it for free, you still have to have a NAFDAC number, which you must provide.
The self-proclaimed activist compared the sale of the products to ValueJet, a private Nigerian airline, highlighting that despite having fewer passengers than Fufeyin’s congregation, ValueJet ensures their “free” water is appropriately regulated.
He said: “Yesterday when I came from Abuja to Lagos, I used ValueJet. They don’t sell products. They only give water to people inside the plane, and ValueJet Water still has a NAFDAC number. Let alone you (Fufeyin), who has plenty of people sitting in your church. You must have a NAFDAC number before you put out anything people take into their bodies or use on their skin. It’s a must.”
Although the prophet announced removing certain products from his church’s offerings, VDM claims some questionable items are still on the website.
He said, “You (Fufeyin) said you don’t sell anything anymore, but what is this ‘Cash Flow ATM Card’? EFCC should take up this case. Is it going to put cash in your account without you working? Is it that when you buy this ATM card, you slot it in, and it starts dispensing cash? I see this as fraud.”
VDM also criticised the ongoing sale of the ‘I Must Carry My Samuel Apple,’ priced at $12 (approximately N20,000). He questioned the rationale behind such exorbitant prices for what is marketed as a spiritually-enhanced fruit. “Is it that when you eat this apple, you get pregnant and start having Samuels? No matter how spiritual this is, it’s too much for an apple.”
The activist noted that handkerchiefs priced at $2 (N3,200) are still available, raising further concerns about monetisation within the church. VDM threatened to file a case with the Nigeria Police Force – National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC). “Every product you produce must have a NAFDAC number. It’s not about a miracle or no miracle. I’ll write a letter to the NPF-NCCC.”
The controversy is not new for Prophet Fufeyin, who has been selling and advertising faith-based products like the ‘Red Sea Water’ since 2019.
This newspaper’s checks on the church’s website show that the spiritual products were also sold to people in South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. His spiritual items have long been promoted as possessing “miraculous powers,” but the recent backlash, spearheaded by VDM, intensified scrutiny.
VDM, known for his activism, described it as “exploitative religious practices,” arguing that they lacked the necessary regulation from NAFDAC.
Credit: Premium Times
