Ebuka Obi and the Dangerous Rise of Misinformation in Nigeria
Only God can save us in Nigeria.
What we witness every day and do nothing about will definitely take revenge on us in the future. We claim to have unlimited access to information, yet we still wallow in ignorance. With the level of poverty in the economy, the modern-day church and herbal medicine sellers are doing a lot of harm to the people. And the government is doing absolutely nothing about it.
The Danger of Blind Faith
Though this sounds like a cliché, my friend Cletus in Abuja experienced it firsthand. A doctor at Zone 3 Hospital, Wuse, told him that his pregnant wife would need a C-section. Afraid of the cost, he called his pastor. The pastor told him to believe in God and bring his wife to the church in Apo. When Cletus informed the doctor of his plan, the doctor warned him: if he moved the woman from the hospital, she would die before reaching the next one.
Cletus called the pastor again, but the pastor insisted he should have faith and bring his wife.
God saved Cletus. He made a quick decision and trusted science instead of the man of foolish faith. His wife and child survived, and yes, money was spent. But what if he had made the alternative decision?
I have watched countless times as church members confessed that, after drinking anointing oil from their pastor, all their ailments disappeared. I have seen congregations rushing to buy and drink anointing oil. This, I tell you, is dangerous.
The Herbal Medicine Epidemic
This madness of reducing Nigeria’s population by force is not only carried out by pastors. The sellers of herbal medicine across the country are in fierce competition with them.
Walking down Upper Iweka yesterday, I heard a herbalist shouting through a loudspeaker:
“Don’t waste your money going to the hospital! There are sicknesses hospitals cannot cure! If you have an infection, come and take this N100 medicine and cure yourself. Mix it with dry gin. Take one shot in the morning, one shot at night.”
That is Upper Iweka, one of the busiest places in Nigeria. At first, I wondered if people patronize them. But if no one did, they wouldn’t be out there every day.
Ebuka Obi and the Spread of Misinformation
Most of us heard Envangelist Ebuka Obi, laying accusations against obstetricians. It’s obvious that there is no doctor in his congregation to tell him that his message is not just dangerous but borne out of ignorance.
And let’s understand what Ebuka Obi did—he ended up opening a channel for expectant couples who now fear being “sexually abused” by doctors. Instead of seeking medical care, they will run to him, asking: What shall we do?
Who Will Take Responsibility?
But here’s the real question:
Does the government have the right to censor this? Can civil society do anything about it? Or have we, as a people, decided that ignorance is the only faith we truly believe in?
Ebuka Obi and the Dangerous Rise of Misinformation
