Minister petitions DSS, police, accuses Primate Ayodele of N150m extortion plot

The Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, has accused the Founder and Head of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, of attempted extortion, blackmail, and using false prophecies to tarnish his public image.

Adelabu, who has already declared interest in contesting the 2027 Oyo State governorship election, levelled the allegations in a petition dated October 13, 2025, and addressed to the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS). The petition was signed by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji.

According to Adelabu, Primate Ayodele persistently approached him with unsolicited offers of “spiritual support” allegedly required to guarantee his victory in the 2027 governorship race.

Adelabu said the cleric demanded over N150 million, including money and expensive “spiritual items”, to make him governor of Oyo State.

In text messages between the minister and the cleric — obtained by The Star — Ayodele allegedly requested 24 All Progressives Congress (APC) flags for prayers, as well as 1,000 trumpets or saxophones. The Nigerian fairly-used grade totalled N50 million, while grade-one imported versions were said to cost N130 million.

Ayodele allegedly asked that the items be delivered on April 1 and later extended the deadline to April 4.

In the messages, he repeatedly claimed his instructions came from God and insisted that Adelabu would “rule Oyo State,” urging him to perform religious recitations and attend midnight vigils.

The minister, however, rejected the demands, stating he could not afford the items and would not base his political ambition on spiritual manipulation.

Adelabu said following his refusal, Ayodele allegedly began releasing public prophecies declaring that the minister would fail in his governorship bid.

The cleric, in videos, was seen accusing the minister of “making mistakes” and insisted that his warnings were divinely inspired. He also challenged Adelabu to arrest or sue him.

In his petition to the DSS, Adelabu described the cleric’s actions as extortive, malicious, and capable of inciting public unrest.

He said the false prophecies were retaliatory and intended to undermine his credibility.

The petition obtained by The Star on Friday read: “I write to formally draw the attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the extortive, deceitful, and inciting activities of one self-acclaimed pastor known as Primate Elijah Ayodele, of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, whose actions have become not only personally distressing to the Honourable Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, but also capable of disturbing public peace and undermining the integrity of the political process in Oyo State.

Ex-gov’s aide reveals alleged bandit payments, cattle deals in Zamfara

“Since his tenure as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and particularly in the period leading up to his current aspiration to serve as the Governor of Oyo State, this individual had persistently approached him with unsolicited offers of “spiritual intercession” purportedly to guarantee electoral success.

“Under this guise, he had on several occasions demanded huge sums of money and expensive spiritual items, cumulatively amounting to over N150 million (One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira), as purported prerequisites for divine favour. The Minister had consistently declined his requests, believing that his political ambition is driven by genuine service to the people and not by any spiritual manipulation or fetish practice.

“Following the Honourable Minister’s refusal to accede to his extortionate demands, Primate Ayodele has embarked on a campaign of malicious and false prophecies targeted at discrediting him publicly. He has gone as far as declaring through various media channels that “God told him he will not win the election,” and has recently made more provocative and inciting statements suggesting that he would fail because of his association with the ‘Èmi Lòkan’ slogan (“It’s my turn”).

“As a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he had previously chosen to ignore his antics to avoid unnecessary public confrontation with a religious figure.

“However, Primate Ayodele’s continued propagation of these false prophecies, which are evidently retaliatory and malicious in nature, now pose a threat not only to the Minister’s reputation but also to public order and confidence in the democratic process

“I therefore urge the Department of State Services to kindly: Investigate the activities of the said Pastor Ayodele for extortion, blackmail, and deliberate dissemination of false and inciting information;

“Compel him to retract his false prophecies and issue a formal written apology; and Bring him under the force of the law, in accordance with relevant provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and Criminal Code, to deter similar fraudulent religious practices in future.

“We are in possession of documentary evidence, including recordings and message exchanges, which clearly show his repeated demands for money and other items under the guise of spiritual assistance. We will willingly make these available to your office for the purpose of investigation.

I trust that the DSS, as a key institution for national security and public integrity, will handle this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.”

The minister also petitioned the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, urging security agencies to investigate Ayodele and compel him to retract his declarations.

Meanwhile, Ayodele denied attempting to extort N150 million from Adelabu, saying he only suggested the minister acquire the trumpets for his own benefit, not for personal financial gain.

Ayodele, in a statement issued on Thursday by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, explained that it was the minister who inquired about the cost, and he provided a figure, suggesting Adelabu send someone to the market to verify the prices of the trumpets himself.

The cleric stated: “I didn’t ask Bayo Adelabu to bring money for prayers, I told him to ask someone from his end to go to the market and find out how much the said trumpet cost, while someone follows them from my end too.

“His personal assistant, himself, and the person he sent to me put me under so much pressure because he was desperate for governorship.

“He was the one who sent someone to me to talk to me on his behalf. He went as far as saying he was willing to give anything to become the next governor of Oyo State, and the only thing I told him is to get the trumpets for his own good.”

The Star