Chosen member’s lion rescue story sparks online mockery, Church responds

A member of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries has stirred controversy after claiming that a lion miraculously saved him from kidnappers. The extraordinary testimony, shared in a video that went viral on social media, has sparked widespread debate.

In the video, the church member recounted his bizarre encounter: “I felt something touch my back, and suddenly, I was lifted like an airplane and dropped onto the expressway. When I turned around, I saw it was a lion. The lion raised its paw, pointed me in a direction, and said ‘bye-bye’ as I walked away.”

The clip quickly gained traction online, with other testimonies from the church surfacing, including a female member who claimed to have overpowered armed robbers by miraculously seizing their AK-47 rifles. Another male member testified about surviving kidnapping attempts, machete attacks, and gunshots—all without sustaining a single injury.

These outlandish claims have drawn sharp criticism, with many Nigerians accusing the church of fabricating the stories. This led to a social media trend dubbed the “I am a Chosen Challenge,” where users humorously mocked the testimonies.

One user on X, tweeting under the handle #DamilojuJLT, wrote, “This Chosen issue is both funny and tragic. How can people believe lions are now rescuing humans? It’s madness.” Another user, #Chuc__kki, commented, “If the God of Chosen is really doing these things, even the attackers would be joining the church to testify.”

In response to the backlash, The Lord’s Chosen Church issued a statement on Tuesday, dismissing the viral videos as doctored. Pastor Chidi Louis, the church’s Head of Public Relations and Media, claimed the footage was manipulated to discredit the church’s work.

“Nigerians should visit our official platform to hear the complete testimonies. For instance, the woman’s account about the robbery was actually a dream, not a real-life event. The video was edited to deceive the public,” Pastor Louis said.

He condemned bloggers for spreading misinformation and labeled their actions as “wicked and devilish,” accusing them of attempting to ridicule the work of God.

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