*Rolls out programme for Centenary celebration

By Efe Onodjae

The Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria has disassociated itself from individuals posing as members and engaging in fraud, commonly called ‘Yahoo Yahoo boys’.

To combat this issue, the church has said it would launch public sensitization programs aimed at exposing these impostors.

The church’s position was made known during a world press conference held at its international headquarters at Maba, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,Ogun State, to mark its 100 years of establishment. .

Fielding questions from journalists, a member of the Centenary Anniversary Committee,Mr. Emmanuel Owomoyela, stated that the church did not have the capacity to identify and remove impostors. Rather, he said its focus was on educating the public about the church’s core values and practices.

His words: “ What we can do is to continue bridging the gap by educating people on what is expected of children of God or any religious group. Our real challenge is that, as a church, we don’t have the authority to enforce actions against those outside our fold.

“Within our branches, we comply with specific norms and protocols. But for those who are not among us, who start their own organizations or churches while using our name, wearing white garments, and engaging in practices we do not condone, there’s very little we can do in such cases.

“We have already approached the Corporate Affairs Commission on the issue of identifying and eliminating fake registrations,” Owomoyela disclosed.

Corroborating his claim, another member of the committee, Dr. Stephen Adeoye, revealed that the church was on the verge of establishing an annual program aimed at enlightening the public on what the church truly represented.

“We aim to organize annual programs to educate the public on our doctrines, standard practices, and beliefs. This way, when people encounter questionable practices under our name, they can easily identify them as inconsistent with our teachings,” he said.

Meanwhile, earlier in his opening remarks, Chairman of the Centenary Committee, John Oladapo, said the church would organise what he described as symbolic walk from Ikare to Ago-Ishofin in Lagos State , as part of events lined up for the centenary celebration.

Highlighting other events lined up for the celebration of the event themed ‘Centenary Without Boundaries’

“ From now until September 9, 2025, a variety of activities have been lined up to celebrate the Centenary of the birth of the Church. The Unification Church is poised to showcase its strengths to the world in many facets of life. Throughout the year, Seraphs and friends of the Church will be actively engaged in their localities through programs that highlight what the church stands for.

“These include Centenary Revivals across all constituent churches in Nigeria and the Diaspora, seminars and lectures, as well as a centenary rally across various states in the country. There will also be novelty football matches and other sporting events held in state capitals.

“The Church also intends to pay courtesy visits to The Presidency, state governors, and the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) across the country.

“Additionally, a pictorial exhibition showcasing the history of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria will be held. Plans are also underway to host a grand Centenary Praise/Prophetic Night, as well as to commission several CSR projects. These efforts will go hand- in -hand with medical outreaches in different parts of the country”, he said.