Chosen member claims lion rescue from kidnappers, church dismisses video as doctored

A member of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries has claimed that a lion miraculously saved him from kidnappers.

The member shared his testimony in a video that went viral on Monday. He recounted, “Something touched my back, lifted me like an aeroplane, and carried me to the expressway. When I landed, I turned to see what had carried me—it was a lion. The lion then raised its paw, pointed me in a direction, and said ‘bye-bye’ as I went.”

In another viral testimony, a female Chosen member also claimed to have fought off armed robbers, saying she miraculously seized their AK-47 rifles and secured the arrest of three of the robbers. Another male member recounted surviving a kidnapping, machete attacks, and gunshot wounds “without injury”.

These extraordinary testimonies sparked criticism online, with many Nigerians accusing the church of staging the events.

This led to a social media trend, the “I am a Chosen Challenge,” where users mock the testimonies.

One user on X.com, Liberate Africa, tweeting as #DamilojuJLT, wrote, “This Chosen issue is both funny and tragic. It’s madness. How can we progress scientifically when people believe lions are now transporting humans? I’m saddened by this.”

Another user, #Chuc__kki, tweeted, “If the God of Chosen is really doing these things, even the attackers would be joining the church to testify.”

In response to the controversy, The Lord’s Chosen Church on Tuesday dismissed the viral videos, claiming they had been doctored.

Pastor Chidi Louis, Head of Public Relations and Media for the church, described the footage as a deliberate attempt to discredit their work.

“Nigerians should visit the Church’s platform to hear the complete testimonies. The woman’s account, for instance, was about a dream, not a real-life event. The video was edited to mislead people,” Louis said.

He criticised bloggers for manipulating the footage, calling them “wicked and devilish” for ridiculing the work of God.

The church urged the public to disregard the viral clips and verify testimonies through official channels.

This is not the first time the church has faced controversy over miraculous claims.

In 2018, a member testified that placing an “I am a Chosen” sticker on her fuel tank prevented it from ever running out of fuel.

Similarly, another member claimed that a sticker on her gas cylinder meant she never needed a refill for years.