By Christy Anyanwu
Pastor Blessing Agboli, wife of the late Apostle Joseph Agboli, founder of Victorious Army Ministry, located at Acme Road in Ogba, Lagos, has been in the eye of the storm ever since her husband passed on to glory in August.
Fondly called Maama by the congregants and friends, a lot has been said on social media about her and her children.
A YouTuber has allegedly reported that she killed her husband. Also, it was alleged she was a drug courier while another version of the allegation said that she has planned to elope to Canada with her children to meet another man..
Pastor Agboli is a vivacious, fashionable and spirit filled woman, but on this particular day, of this interview, she was in the opposite, so calm and talking softly in an emotion-laden voice.
As preparation to bury Apostle Joseph Agboli is in top gear, his widow spoke with Sunday Sun recently in the church compound.
She opened up on how her husband died.
She said it was her husband half-sister who has been parading falsehood against her and her children, among other issues. Excerpt:
How has it been since the passing away of your husband?
It has been traumatic. He was ill for a while and we have believed God for his healing. Joseph Agboli was a man of faith and we believed so much on the efficacy of God’s power, healing, which is his major calling…. We have seen the dead raised, we have seen the sick healed, even while he was in the hospital, he was praying for people and they were getting healed. I missed him.
Most times when things of this nature happen, a lot of controversies arise, especially from the church, family etc.; tell us your experience since the passing of your husband in August?
Surprisingly, I have not had any issue with the church or with his immediate family. But his half-sister, who maltreated him, has been the one talking. She cannot claim to know me, my husband has not seen her for 28 years, she doesn’t know what my children look like, she’s been the one accusing me and went to the press to lay claims of what I don’t know anything about. My husband sister is quiet, she has been quiet, and she is still in shock. To his younger siblings, I am their Maama. But the half-sister is the one who has been funny. She contacted a YouTuber who claimed to know me when I was carrying drugs. This YouTuber in question I don’t know her.
Did the half-sister had issues with your husband and you when he was alive?
They already had an issue before we got married. One day, my husband met my half-sister dancing with her mother celebrating that their enemy had just died. As my husband walked in, while they were dancing he asked, out of curiosity who died? They said your mother. “Why would you celebrate the death of my mother?” he asked. That was how their issue started. He told me they didn’t help him as a student. The person who paid his tuition fees was his maternal uncle, Mr. Okocha in Ibadan. He is late too. And when he passed, my husband stood for the burial because he was the one who paid his tuition fees. I don’t have any good testimony of what the half sister did for my husband. Absolutely nothing.
Have you ever had contact with this woman?
No and she doesn’t know my children. She’s never seen them. Telling me that I killed my husband is torturing. A man that I married for this long? The whole world knows Joseph Agboli loved me. Jesus knew that if I have a choice to go for him today, I would do as long as he stayed caring and doing the things of God. One of the things I had to deal with immediately we announced his death was to check on the people on scholarship, the widows he takes care of, most of these people, I don’t know how to start with them. It’s a huge responsibility, a big shoe to fit in. I have always known how to do my business, I love to travel, and I’m not one that will sit down. Apostle Joseph Agbolii would sit and talk to 200 people a day. When I married him, he was doing counselling 7:00a.m to 11:00p.m. One of our lawyers, Chief Mike Ozekhome, recently said to me, ‘we lost a good man, a very good man. He was scandal-free’.
There’s news milling round that his death was COVID related, some said he died in London. Are these true?
I can show you his medical file which I obtained from the hospital. I ran into a popular Nigeria pastor, he was shocked to see us in a hospital. He had heart issues. He had this issue since 2004, from 2004 to 2019, he didn’t take any medication. It was 2019; he travelled to the US for his checks. He didn’t even die abroad. He died in Nigeria. Before his death, Papa said to me, ‘I have seen heaven four times; it’s a beautiful place to be. I have finished my work…’ I drove him to the hospital, when we got to the hospital. From here to the hospital he didn’t show any sign of weakness. The day we got to the hospital, he couldn’t come out of the car. I was shocked.
On Saturday morning of that week, he asked me to take him home. I took him home. As he stepped out of the car. I ran to help him walk, he said take me to the back of the building, I took him there. He looked round, he looked round and he held my hand, he said to me, you can handle this. At that point, he said get my sit. He sat down. I remember holding his left leg, I was begging him, Paapa, and I won’t be able to cope. I know what you are carrying on the inside. That was the first time I saw his tears roll down his eyes. He sat down there and requested for tea, after that tea that was the day I thought he would have died because after that tea, I noticed, he was no more able to open his eyes. He tried to talk like a man and told a church member, ‘I will see you in church tomorrow’ and the man said ‘no Papa don’t come’.
Part of the allegations against you was that you were planning to run away with the kids to Canada before the burial, how true is this?
Still my husband half-sister’s jokes. She told the YouTuber all that. The issue of running away, to where? Look around you. Church of this size, run to where? We own next door, we own opposite. With my house alone, where, why? Who is this man in Canada that would give me what Jesus has given to me. I was wondering where Sahara Reporters got their story that my sons have no respect for their fathers and are always in the club. These two are my sons. These are the children the writer said I ran to Canada with. The bigger one is my last born. This is his first time in Nigeria; he came here last in 2003. Our last born has never stepped into any club. For me to read that my kids come to Nigeria and they don’t respect their father and they are usually in night club is a mess. My lawyer wrote to Sahara Reporters, they told us they got the story from a reliable source. I have the most respectful children any mother could wish. The church knows. My first daughter took care of anyone. You come into my house, there’s order. Very sound order. The only time you ever heard my son speak is if you disrespect his dad. One of my neighbours met my son in Los Angeles in the school and said to him, I know your parents, why are you so casual. Why do you live like a nobody? I know who your parents are and when he told me that, I understand. Because it is good to be humble. My husband thought my children how to make their own money. They are sportsmen. They are Rugby players. That’s why you see them in this edge.
How have all these rumour affected you?
It’s traumatic. It’s one thing for me to have lost this great man who trusted me with his life. Joseph Emboli trusted me with everything to have him snatched away from me, I cried and while I tried to comprehend what has just happened all I’m hearing is that I killed him. How? That Saturday we got to the house (August 21) by Sunday, I cooked for him as usual. We never had domestic staff in our house. Not one. I don’t know what it is to have a nanny. I cooked all my husband meals. Even when I’m travelling, I packed them and put all his meals in the freezer. I washed all his clothes. Saying I sacked people who were domestic workers in my house, there was none. I never had domestic workers. The only time I had people in the house are my husband’s brothers and one of my sisters who is now married. I never had any domestic staff. We are just two people who love the Lord. I took him back to the hospital on Monday. I can show you his medical report, his arteries was flat. I thought God would heal him I was waiting for that day. Three Sundays prior to his death, he was preaching, the doctor had advised him to be careful as he turned to go back to his seat, he shook; I rushed him and held him. That was the day he would have collapsed on the altar. I took him to his seat and had him relaxed for 30 minutes before we left the church. He died on August 25.
In cases like this, there are usually rancour among church leaders and the deceased’s wife, any of such with you?
Victorious Army Ministry is well structured. And we run the church with pastorates so it makes it a lot easier. I have never had any of such challenge. I have been holding meeting every Sunday immediately after service, we talked and agreed on what to do next. The church has been very supportive.
Are you the one in charge now?
We have a resident pastor. Every church has a resident pastor.