An evangelist, Chidi Eke, has allegedly starved to death while dry fasting for 40 days and nights in an attempt to obtain power from God before opening his own church.
According to reports, the deceased first fasted and prayed for 21 days. Following its success, the 46-year-old ‘man of God’ decided to go on 40 days and 40 nights dry fast.
The incident happened in Eziala Nguru community in Ngor Okpala Council area of Imo state.
Eke, who was said to have abandoned his wife and two children in Lagos to move back to the village, had announced that he wants to start his ministry but that before he does that he would have to obtain power from God.
“During the first and second week of his fast people who had gone to their farms heard him singing and praying loudly, but after the third week nobody heard his voice again and most people thought that perhaps he must have gone spiritual,” the Sun reported quoting sources.
It was learnt that it was not until one of his members, Cyriacus Opara, who became worried and insisted that he needed to visit him at the “Wilderness”.
“When Cyriacus Opara who is a member of his church approached the family that he wanted to visit Chidi Eke at the “Wilderness”.
“They told him that they don’t know the exact location where he is and that Chidi Eke had earlier issued a stern warning that he does not want any visitors because he had left his phone and money at home and had only gone with his Bible and gown”.
The family members, it was learnt, had directed Cyriacus Opara to one Cajetan Nwaneri as the only person who knew the location of the “Wilderness” since he had assisted the deceased evangelist in clearing it.
Nwaneri directed Cyriacus Opara to the location but, when he got to the place, he discovered that Chidi Eke had long died and his body was already decomposing.
He said,
“ Chidi Eke had abandoned his wife and two children a boy and girl in Lagos and returned to the village saying that he has come to answer the call of God. His corpse was discovered on October 6 by one of his members who had gone to check on him in the bush where he had gone to fast for 40 days and 40 nights.
Chidi Eke is the only son of his mother, In fact, it was members of the community under the leadership of Tochukwu Ekeh (Aged 90) who bore the burden of burying him.”
Following the incident, the community banned people from fasting and praying inside the bush.
Sunday Sun
