Maharaj Ji Devotees Granted Bail, Recount Arrest, Detention Over Faith And Miracle Church Land Dispute
Five devotees of Satguru Maharaj Ji have recounted their arrest, detention and prosecution following a dispute involving Faith and Miracle International Church at Maharaj Ji Village in Ibadan, Oyo State, insisting that they did not attack the church or vandalise its property.
The devotees, who have been released on bail, gave their accounts of the events leading to their arrest on September 28, 2026, following an earlier incident involving the alleged recording of footage within Maharaj Ji Village on September 27. They maintained that the dispute was connected to activities around the contested land and appealed to the Oyo State Government, traditional rulers and security agencies to ensure justice.
According to Ugochukwu Ogizonna and Ugonna Chukwu, who recounted the incident together, the matter began when a member of Faith and Miracle International Church was allegedly found recording within the village. They said the individual’s phone was examined in the presence of security personnel before the parties reportedly reached an understanding.
“We are one of those that was arrested on 28th of September, which was on Monday. But before then, I was a living witness of what happened on Sunday, which was on 27th. I was around when one of the church members came into our premises from our pilot area. So, though I was not present at that moment, when his phone was collected from one of our brothers, I saw the phone,” they said.
“On that Monday, I was in my service point when I heard that we had some intruders. They came in with their shoes and arms. I don’t know if they were policemen because they were not in uniform. That was how they apprehended me. When we got to where they parked their vehicle, very close to the front of the church, I noticed that two of our brothers had been held captive and chained on their legs as if they were kidnappers,” they added.
The devotees said they were taken to a police facility, questioned and asked to make statements before being charged in court.
They alleged that the charges included conspiracy, malicious damage, alleged possession of arms and vandalism of church property. They maintained that they pleaded not guilty and were subsequently remanded in custody.
They also said the case had been adjourned until December 10, 2026, for further proceedings, expressing confidence that the legal process would establish their position.
One of the devotees, Olugbemi Orij, gave his account of the events of September 27, saying he saw a man recording around the premises and reported the matter to the authorities within Maharaj Ji Village.
“I saw somebody videoing our compound, not fiddling. He didn’t see me. I rushed, and when he saw me, he ran away. We started looking for him. I asked him, ‘What are you doing here with a phone? Where are you from?’ He said he was from the church. I said, ‘Let’s see the video.’ I tried to open the phone and then submitted it to the superiors. I said, ‘See what is going on,’” Orij said.
He further claimed that uniformed security personnel later arrived and examined the footage before the parties reached an understanding.
“The army Major was there, and the someone like DPO was there too. Uniformed armies were there, and uniformed police were there. They said we should bring the phone. Our service coordinator came with the phone and opened it, and we saw exactly how he was filming the whole area. The army Major saw it, and the army major scolded the man and they pleaded with us. There was peace that day. They made peace completely, and our service coordinator handed over the phone to them. Everybody left,” he said.
Orij alleged that the following day, security personnel returned in connection with the cutting of tree branches and that the situation escalated into arrests.
He said he was concerned when some of the people who approached them were not wearing uniforms, adding that he initially feared they might be kidnappers before discovering that the group was conducting an operation.
Orij also said the experience of being taken into custody had affected him personally, calling for the matter to be resolved through a fair legal process.
“As I am talking to you, my health condition is critical. I have never experienced that in my life. It was not easy. I said it is not easy to go to prison in Nigeria,” he said.
Another devotee, Elue Mazi, said he was present during the September 27 incident and later became one of those arrested the following day. He maintained that the dispute over the property was already before a court and that members of the One Love Family had been advised to avoid confrontation.
“On that Sunday, I was in the village when some of the security men called my attention and said that someone was videoing inside Maharaj Ji’s village. They seized the phone from him. I went there and collected the phone from the security personnel that seized it. Later, I was told that there were some soldiers and police inside the village area trying to come into the village,” Mazi said.
He said he met security personnel, including the DPO of Orita Police Station, and that the phone was subsequently examined in their presence.
“When he opened the phone and we scrolled, we saw that it was actually videoing inside the village. The army and the police, including the DPO, apologised and said that it was really a trespassing. They said they were sorry and that the video should immediately be deleted. He deleted everything, and they apologised. That was how everything went off,” he said.
Mazi alleged that he was arrested on September 28 after responding to a call concerning the cutting of tree branches. He said he was initially taken towards a police station but was later returned to the church premises, where he claimed security personnel sought access to the village.
He maintained that the One Love Family had not resorted to violence despite the ongoing land disagreement, adding that its members had been instructed to allow the courts and relevant authorities to resolve the matter.
“Since that place was fenced and the case is in court, we have been asked not to go there until the day the judge will finally say that the land doesn’t belong to them. So, we don’t have to fight. We didn’t fight when they came with bulldozers and destroyed buildings and crops. We did not fight. Even when they came again, Maharaj Ji said, ‘No, don’t go there. Don’t go and make any trouble.’ Let the authorities do their job,” Mazi said.
Mazi also disputed allegations that members of the group attacked the church and damaged its property. He called on traditional rulers, the state government and security agencies to ensure that the dispute was handled fairly.
He said the case had been adjourned until December 10, 2026, adding that the family would rely on the court process to address the allegations.
Another member of the group, Itaibalumie Osikhe, said he was with a colleague on September 27 when they noticed a person recording within Maharaj Ji Village near a toilet facility.
“On the 27th, which was Sunday, I was with my colleague when he called my attention to someone videoing Maharaj Ji Village. He was standing beside our toilet, and when we approached him and asked why he trespassed into Maharaj Ji Holy Land, he said he was from the church and that they were there to cut trees. We observed that he had taken many secret videos and the entire footage, and it was at that point that we collected the phone to verify the videos taken,” Osikhe said.
He alleged that after the incident was discussed with security personnel, the situation appeared to have been resolved, but that the following day brought a different development.
“The following day, we suddenly heard the cutting of trees near Maharaj Ji Village. When Elue went there to check what was happening, he was arrested without any just cause. Before we could call for help, about an hour later, a full police deployment descended on the village and started arresting us. We told them earlier to pass through the right main gate, but they came in through the back end,” he said.
Osikhe maintained that the devotees did not attack the church and called for a fair investigation into the circumstances surrounding their arrest.
The five devotees said they had been released on bail and are awaiting further proceedings in court.
They urged the relevant authorities to ensure that the land dispute did not lead to further confrontation.
Meanwhile, Satguru Maharaj Ji, the spiritual leader of the One Love Family, expressed concern over the arrest of members of his community, calling for fairness in the handling of the dispute involving Faith and Miracle International Church.
Maharaj Ji maintained that the matter should be resolved through the appropriate legal process, urging all parties to respect the rule of law and refrain from actions that could escalate tensions.
He called on the Oyo State Government, traditional rulers and security agencies to ensure that justice was served.
The spiritual leader further urged the relevant authorities to protect the rights of the devotees and other parties involved while the court determines the ownership and other issues surrounding the disputed property.
He stressed the importance of maintaining peace and preventing further confrontation in the community.
Maharaj Ji reiterated his position that the dispute should be resolved lawfully, expressing confidence in the judicial process and calling on all parties to exercise restraint pending the court’s decision.
Long Live The Government of Oyo State,
Long Live, The Federal Republic of Nigeria.
My Love and Blessings.
SATGURU MAHARAJ JI
LIVING PERFECT MASTER