By JAPHET ALAKAM

JOURNALIST, copywriter and author Babatunde Faniyan is not new in the literary world. The creative thinker who has worked in many media houses and was at one time the acting City Editor of the defunct Daily Times after many years of research is set to storm the literary community with the entrance of a new novel into the literary terrain.

After his first published book in 1988, titled, Die and Let Live, a fiction job which was shortlisted for an Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) award in 1989, Faniyan whose mission is to use his God given talent, skills and experience to establish a pervasive and potent communication platform to inform, educate, entertain and empower man is out with his second book titled, Deliver Us From Evil, a 450 page book.

The book, a  Socio-Spiritual story set in Mid-20th Century Nigeria chronicles active spiritual consciousness as key against the Evil that is resolutely threatening to overwhelm the world. The book which is recommended for  adult audience only is a thrilling story of hard-core conflict between good and evil. This conflict cuts across familiar and not-so-familiar realms taking advantage of the rich and flexible quality of the human imagination.

With the wave of violence  rocking the world now, one is bound to ask why it is so . From the Jos plateau in Nigeria to the French Riviera in France, evil schemes to grow root in the Nigerian soil and complete the physical, economic, social and spiritual rout of the people.

And from all indications, all the variables seem to be working in favour of Evil: corrupt, oppressive and unproductive governments; decayed morality; deceitful religious preachings; deprivation on all fronts; hatred; intolerance, etc.

The book tells the story of

the birth of Ireti at the first highbrow, European-run  Mission hospital in Port Harcourt and that of Solomon Ogun at a decrepit, dingy traditional Maternity home at an Ijebu-Ode side street. The drama surrounding and heralding both births were rich in contrasts, humour and tragedy.

The paths of both boys crossed briefly at primary school in Jos, where they had brilliant academic careers. At secondary school level, Solomon was officially recognized as a genius. But the two boys grew up to be opposing spiritual beings. Solomon, at the age of 16 got enlisted as a disciple of Satan and progressed to become a Grandmaster – one of the top three in the hierarchy of the World Council of Satanists, (WCS). Ireti, on the other hand received a brief from God – a challenge to salvage the world from evil, else it was doomed for destruction. Ireti accepted the challenge. Thus a battle line was drawn. The story continues.

The new book, Deliver Us From Evil which has started receiving commendations from notable scholars and the first book Die and Let Live will be officially presented to the public in September, 2012.

Faniyan who is an accom

plished writer won the award for Best Creative presentation of the Association of Advertising Practitioners (AAPN). He runs his own Communications outfit known as Revelation Advertising Ltd since 1997 and is the publisher of Thinker’s Digest and lead writer of Wind of Hope, the authorized biography of President Goodluck Jonathan launched in March, 2011.