Rev. Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi, fondly known as Iya Adura of Cherubim and Seraphim, who established the Love of Christ Church, has narrated her journey from humble beginnings to international prominence and highlighted the roles of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in securing her United Kingdom (UK) citizenship.
According to Esther Ajayi, in 2007, she and her family relocated to the UK, where they became among the first to publicly proclaim the coming of Jesus in the streets of Buckingham, ringing bells and urging people to repent. This marked the beginning of a much larger plan that God had in store for her life.
However, she pointed out that her story took an unexpected turn when she and other family members overstayed their six-month visa, leading them to become illegal immigrants and homeless for some time in the UK.
The struggle to navigate immigration issues was further complicated by the inability of her children to gain admission to the universities due to their status as illegal immigrants.
In the midst of this, Rev. Ajayi acquired citizenship in St. Kitts through an investment programme.
According to her, during a trip to France to test her new passport, she was detained, her fingerprints were taken, and she found herself in a precarious position. With the passport she held, she was at risk of being deported to 162 countries. However, this was not the end of her journey; rather, it became a turning point.
In 2016, after being detained, she was deported to Nigeria.
In Nigeria, Rev. Ajayi recounted how she met a woman who had invested in an event centre business but was facing numerous challenges. The woman believed that if Rev. Ajayi could pray for her, her problems would vanish and her business would be divinely touched.
After the prophetess’s prayer, the woman encouraged Rev. Ajayi to buy the land on which she was using a lease agreement. Though Rev. Ajayi did not have money to buy the land, she prayed over it, asking God to possess it for her. This dream eventually came to pass when she purchased the land, on which she built her church in Lagos.
Her journey took yet another turn when she was advised to return to the UK to fight for her citizenship. Her lawyer told her to surrender herself for arrest, which would last only seven days but eventually lasted nine days.
When she was released, Chief Obasanjo took her to Cherie Blair, the wife of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who took up her case after she paid 40,000 UK pounds.
She added, “Any time I want to talk to Blair, I pay one thousand pounds. If I talk to any of her subordinates, I pay between 250 to 500 pounds. The British don’t take bribes, but they have their ways of doing things.”
She revealed that again, in the midst of an immigration battle, God ordered her to return to Nigeria for another assignment. “I called Baba Obasanjo and told him that I wanted to return to Nigeria. Baba Obasanjo was surprised and asked me to wait for the outcome of my immigration case. I told him, ‘No, I can’t do that because it was God who ordered me to go back to Nigeria, and I came back to Nigeria.”
Upon her return to Nigeria, she said her ministry expanded rapidly, leading her to travel to 68 countries in just two years, spreading the gospel and sharing the love of Christ.
Speaking on her marriage and relying on Ephesians 5: 22, she said that her marriage was successful because she obeyed God’s instruction about marriage: that wives should submit to their husbands, stressing that submitting to one’s husband will transform a relationship and lead to peace and success.
She warned women that no matter how successful or financially independent they may become, humility and respect for their husbands are key to creating lasting happiness.
She said she is a living example of how obedience to God, humility, and faith can transform every aspect of life, turning what seemed like impossible challenges into extraordinary testimonies of God’s greatness. “In the morning, when I wake up, I kneel down for him and praise him in his family panegyrics. He loves it. Let me tell you, men are easy to control and direct however you want. If you respect them, anywhere you ask them to go, they will go. But if you do otherwise, your marriage will be hell on earth. Therefore, women, especially those of you who are wealthier than your husbands, respect and honor him. Wealth and arrogance go together. Don’t be arrogant toward your husband.”
