T. B. Joshua and His wife, Evelyn were Traditionally Married in Ukala Okpunor, Anioma Community

 T. B. Joshua and His wife, Evelyn were Traditionally Married in Ukala Okpunor, Anioma Community

- Read Everything you need to know about the Marriage of Prophet Temitope and Pastor Evelyn Joshua

By Emeka Esogbue 

A video recently trended on social media that claimed that Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, Founder of Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN), and his wife, Pastor Evelyn Joshua were never married according to the rites of the Anioma people and this aroused the curiosity of PEN MASTER who went on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the veracity of the claim.

PEN MASTER'S findings show that Pastor Evelyn Joshua who inherited the headship of the church following the death of T. B. Joshua in 2021, hails from Ukala Okpunor, an Anioma community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. 

Ukala Okpunor is an agrarian community with a quiet life. It geographically lies close to Ezi and shares the same local government area with the fairly large sisterly communities of Ibusa and Okpanam. 

A history of the origin of Ukala Okpunor, an autonomous kingdom of two communities known as Ukala Okpunor and Ukala Ukwute, hosted on the website of Ukala Community Development Union, USA Chapter, names the founder of the community as Onyimeosi Ukala. 

Legendary Onyimeosi Ukala who was said to have two sons, is believed to have migrated from Benin to Uka-Ugwuebe (today's Igueben) before settling down in today's Ukala-Okpunor where he founded.

According to historical information available on the website, Onyimeosi Ukala had a disagreement with the Oba of Iduu (Benin) over the Oba's decision to relocate his Palace from 

from Uselu to Central Benin City, leading to his flight. 

Although young Temitope Balogun Joshua and former Evelyn Ejime Akabude met in Lagos, they were indeed married according to the customary rites of Ukala Okpunor as some sources confirmed their knowledge and attendance of the traditional marriage to PEN MASTER.

PEN MASTER further learnt that spinster, Evelyn Ejime Akabude grew up in the Iyana Ipaja axis of Lagos and it was here that a romantic affair developed with Temitope Balogun Joshua which would later culminate in their marriage. 

She has three brothers and a sister who is married to an Ezi man in Delta State and they are all residents of Lagos. Interestingly, the Akabude family of Umuakele in Ukala Okpunor is large and popular and is collectively referred to as "Umu Ikedegwu." Some of the family members are the Nnabuifes, Akabudes, Okolos, and Atukpoziams, all of whom are making progress today in different endeavours. 

Nothing is often said by Evelyn Joshua's mother but she was Mrs. Ngboyibo Akabude nee Morka who was the first daughter of Ogbuenyi Paul Morka. She was nice and often preferred to lead a quiet life. Her Ukala Okpunor people who related with her were full of respect for her. One of Pastor Evelyn's uncles was Ogbuefi Uwaonyenachi Morka who was the Iyase of Ukala until 2021 when he passed away. He was a lover of the people's culture and worked to promote it.

The marriage of T. B. Joshua and Evelyn Akabude took place at the residence of Evelyn's father, Diokpa Nicholas Kawado Akabude in Umuakale Quarters of Ukala Okpunor where Prophet Temitope Joshua had led his family members to marry his long time heartthrob all the way from Arigidi Akoko, his Yoruba hometown.

Arigidi Akoko, Joshua's hometown, nicknamed "Imo Arigidi Akoko" is a community in Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State. It is a vibrant and important economic hub with its location favourable to agricultural production such as cassava and yams. 

The Arigidi Akoko community stands out in culture since it is known for the numerous festivals celebrated by the people including the New Yam Festival which is now known as Arigidi Day. 

In an article published in The Sun on 5 January 2017, the people migrated from Ile Ife and settled in Benin. It was from Benin, they settled in their present site in 1819. 

Femi Fani-Kayode once described the people as fearless, hard-working, and resilient people who never back down in the face of challenges. 

As for the correctness of the Temitope and Evelyn's marriage, one source said to PEN MASTER, "The truth remains that T. B Joshua was in Umuakele Quarters, Umuitonor village in Ukala Okpunor to marry his wife Ejime Evelyn Joshua née Akadude."

Although another source had claimed that T. B. Joshua was present at Ukala during his late father-in-law, Kawodo Akabude's burial in Umuakele, Umuitonor village in Ukala Kingdom, further findings from PEN MASTER suggests that it was indeed the burial of his mother-in-law in 2002 and that Prophet T. B. Joshua was not physically present but family delegates and church members were in attendance.

Furthermore, Akabude the father of Pastor Evelyn Joshua died in 1986 at which time, the Joshua couple was yet to contract their marriage. 

The marriage produced three children - Serah, Promise, and Heart. Serah is a Lawyer.  Promise is a graduate of Politics and International Relations at the London School of Economics in the United King­dom.

BBC Africa had chronicled an investigative report in which it claimed that T. B. Joshua enforced rape, torture, and seclusion of individuals within a structure in Lagos. These allegations gave birth to further reactions from different quarters. 

Although some Nigerian heavyweights prominently Ovation Magazine Publisher, Dele Momodu and former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode questioned the BBC allegations, a reaction from a certain individual recently contained in a video, claimed that T. B. Joshua and his wife, Evelyn were never married traditionally even though the couple was rightfully married according to the Ukala Okpunor rites of Anioma.

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