A human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and the leader of a Port Harcourt-based church, Dynamic Flame of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Prophet Umueke Miracle, have agreed to a live demonstration of miracles.
Sowore, in a recent interview, called out Nigerian pastors, dismissing their claims of supernatural wonders as deceptive theatrics designed to manipulate followers.
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He argued that many so-called miracles were staged and aimed at exploiting Nigerians.
The controversial activist further alleged that his father, who suffered a stroke, fell victim to a “fake miracle” when he was taken to a church for healing.
He said, “All of us know that all these religious people are fake. I have never seen a church that made a cripple walk before. The church has never made any blind person see. Forget about all these big churches lying to you.
“I know the Muslims will come after me, the Christians will come after me, but I am here to speak the truth to power. Whether it is temporal or spiritual, we must demolish their lies.
“The truth is that religion is thriving in our society because the government does not exist. Otherwise, if we had great governance today in this country, your prayer points would change.
“My father had a stroke years ago. I was not in the country, and my brothers took him to a crusade. That was where his condition got worse.”
But responding, Prophet Miracle described Sowore’s remarks as an attack on the Christian faith, insisting that miracles were real and undeniable.
The cleric, while addressing his congregation, challenged Sowore to bring a stroke-afflicted person to his church for healing, threatening that if the person was not healed, he would shut down his ministry.
The cleric, while speaking to the cheering of his congregation, went further to give Sowore a one-month ultimatum to accept his challenge to perform miracles.
He threatened that if Sowore failed to present a stroke-afflicted person for healing within the given time, it would confirm that he (Swore) was only making baseless accusations against men of God.
He said, “People don’t believe in miracles. I overheard Sowore saying no pastor can perform any miracle. I challenged him to bring someone who has had a stroke. But before he brings the person, let them take the person to the hospital to confirm that the person has had a stroke.
If I pray and the person stands up and walks, forever until he dies, let him (Sowore) never speak again. Let him drop his dream of becoming the President of Nigeria. But if I cannot heal the person, let me close this church until Jesus comes. It is a challenge to him.
“He (Sowore) should personally bring someone with a stroke or insanity, and all television stations should be there. I am saying this live, and people all over the world are watching.
“This is Prophet Miracle in Port Harcourt; I challenge Sowore to bring me someone with a stroke. If I cannot pray for the person to stand up, let this be the end of my ministry.
“But if I pray and the person receives healing, stands up, and walks before everyone, then until he dies, Sowore should never speak on TV or appear on social media again. It is a challenge, and I give him until April 4 to bring the person.
“If I, Prophet Miracle, cannot pray for the person’s healing, this church should shut down. Nobody should worship here again. But if that person stands up and walks before everybody, then for all the days of his life, Sowore should never be seen on any TV station or social media talking again.
“Let me tell you, if you have never seen power before, you will think power is ‘moi moi.’ But power is not powder, power is power! Every time in this country, they try to set men of God up. This was what they did to T.B. Joshua.”
Meanwhile, Sowore, while accepting the cleric’s challenge, urged him to visit the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital’s stroke ward to heal the patients there.
The human rights activist, in a post on his Facebook page, said, “I have accepted the challenge and would ask the pastor to move his ministry to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital stroke ward, particularly the comprehensive stroke care centre, and clear out the place.
“My reason is that those in that ward are certified sick and need urgent healing. There is no need for a back-and-forth. I will be watching his (Prophet Miracle’s) live stream tomorrow to publicise his healing prowess from that ward.”