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Introduction

Prophet Daniel Abodunrin is remembered by most Nigerians to date for his miracle mission that later became his doom. Determined to recreate a biblical occurrence, he wanted to prove that he is the modern-day Daniel and that what happened around 620 B.C could repeat itself in the year 1991 A.D.

It was gathered that during the Easter Lenten season of 1991, the famed Zoological Garden University of Ibadan was populated with lots of tourists having a nice time. Amongst them was a prophet abhorring a sinister motive, unlike the others.

Driven by the zeal and passion of religion and with the utmost belief that he would be saved by the Holy Spirit or that the angels will paralyze the lions as they did for Daniel, Prophet Daniel Abodunrin didn’t stop praying, thereby providing what was the spectacle of the year for everyone in the zoo.

Many people condemned the prophet for such a bizarre act while others believed the lions were possessed by demons stronger than the prophet and demanded that they should be killed. While some believe that he is not a true man of God but a pretender who just wanted to test his “unchristian” spiritual powers.

Character of the Biblical Daniel

The character of Daniel (God is Judge – Belteshazzar) inside the bible remains one like no other, he was simply a man of high-esteem, in fact, no weakness was recorded of him.

We know that Daniel was a young man of the nobility and was the cream of the crop of the Israelites. He was young, likely 16-18 at this time, good-looking, intelligent, and wise. He was taken as a captive for just these reasons.

After a time of training in the Babylonian ways, culture, language, etc. he entered the personal service of Nebuchadnezzar as an adviser and also an overseer. Daniel lived in Babylon for over 60 years, into his eighties.

Daniel grew up in a turbulent time. He was born around 620 B.C. and taken to Babylon after the siege of Jerusalem ended (it started in 605 B.C.) Israel had been under attack for some time and succumbed to the world power of Babylon.

Daniel, along with many other native Hebrews, was exiled to Babylon for many years. Jews loved their homeland, Jerusalem, and the temple, but were forced from their homes and taken to a foreign culture and country.

Daniel was merely a boy when he was forced to leave everything he knew. All the rest of his life he lived in a pagan and sinful culture. There were continual temptations to live as the sinful people around him. Peer pressure was strong to get him to conform.

A law was even passed forbidding the worship of anyone/anything except the Persian king. It was certainly not an easy life or an easy time in the history of Israel for Daniel to live. Daniel was about 80 when Persia conquered Babylon.

Daniel was very uncompromising, relied on God, humble, wise, and above all; undauntingly bold. He pronounced the true meaning of dreams and visions, even when those could have been negative and unpopular.

One of the most popular events or acts he was directly involved in his lifetime was the “lion’s den occurrence”. Other popular events or acts are; interpreting the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar on two occasions, interpreting the handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar, and the visions about the future of the world.

Daniel lived long, into his 80s. Although there was no record of how he died, he lived a well-fulfilled and celebrated life.

The Character of Prophet Daniel Abodunrin

The fact that the Prophet’s first name is Daniel could be a hint at how the man wanted to be seen by others as Daniel in the bible. Prophet Daniel Abodunrin was also referred to as a Bishop or a pastor.

Obviously, Prophet Daniel Abodunrin’s goal was to demonstrate something that had never been done before. His plan was to replicate what was written in the Holy Bible thousands of years ago about Daniel.

I’m of the opinion that religion is powerful, faith moves mountains and of course, greater feats than the one attempted by Prophet Daniel Abodunrin have been achieved by men of God before and after 1991 when he dared to enter the lion’s den.

Another interesting factor to consider about Prophet Daniel Abodunrin is the fact that he wore a red robe to replicate the biblical Daniel, not a suit like it’s the custom of an average Nigerian Pastor. He was probably determined to show the world that he could demonstrate God’s power like Daniel did in the bible.

An account of the event mentioned that he approached one of the staff of The Zoo to allow him to go inside Lion’s enclosure but the staff refused and told him he cannot do that. Determined to enter the lion’s enclosure, he still went ahead to sneak in.

Prophet Daniel Abodunrin was obviously determined to recreate a biblical occurrence, he wanted to prove that he is the modern-day Daniel and that what happened around 620 B.C. could repeat itself in the year 1991 A.D.

Prophet Daniel Abodunrin could have been a Christian and not a pretender depending on dark magic. He could have just been an overzealous man of God trying to prove that God is powerful or rather that he is a powerful man of God.

The University of Ibadan Zoological Garden

Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state, is the largest city in Nigeria and the third in Africa after Cairo and Johannesburg. The city which lies in the southwestern part of Nigeria is known for its rich and fascinating cultures, lifestyle, history, and spellbinding tourist destinations.

One of the most visited tourist destinations in Ibadan is the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan which came into existence over six decades ago and became a full-fledged zoo in 1974. The Zoological Garden is mainly for tourism, education, and entertainment purposes.

The garden has now been stocked with more and new species of animals. Animals are grouped in different sections of the zoo. Sections in the garden include the Avian, Herbivore, Carnivore, Reptile, Primate, and small animal sections.

It is a popular custom of many families living in Ibadan to visit the zoo during festive periods to hang out and have fun as well. It is a popular tourist site in the city of Ibadan; vacation in the state capital is incomplete without a visit to the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan.

Prophet Daniel Abodunrin and The Lions in The University of Ibadan Zoo

Prophet Daniel Abodunrin was also in the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan on this particular day but not as a tourist. The acclaimed man of God had previously adorned a flowing red robe like he was from Babylon and had only with him a bible.

Of all the sessions in the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan, the most populated session is where the lions are kept. Of all the animals in the world, lions are one of the most recognized animals. In most stories, myths, and cultures, a lion is indisputably the king of animals.

As one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture, the lion has been extensively depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature. It’s not a surprise that any tourist to the Zoological Garden University of Ibadan ensures they see a lion.

Amongst the teeming number of tourists was Prophet Daniel Abodunrin in his red robe, clinging tight to his bible. Most people didn’t notice him and those that did never imagined he’ll dare what he was planning to do on this fateful day.

Some accounts maintained that Prophet Daniel Abodunrin approached some of the staff and that they should allow him into the Lions’ cage. He was denied access and strictly warned not to dare such a thing at the Zoological Garden University.

Another version has it that he managed to convince one of the zookeepers to allow him to enter and let God demonstrate signs and wonders saying that the God of Daniel is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Other accounts of the event insist that he sneaked in without informing the staff at all and he was already inside before they could see him talk less of stopping him at all. One thing is certain from all the accounts; Prophet Daniel Abodunrin managed to enter the lions’ enclosure.

Instantly, all eyes were on him, the supposed audience was both perplexed, anxious, and terrified. They glued their eyes on Prophet Daniel Abodunrin with a bewildering mixture of shock and terror, screams rented the serene atmosphere.

Prophet Daniel Abodunrin was not discouraged or made to change his decision despite his onlooker’s reactions. he began reciting Bible verses and speaking in tongues and calling unto the ‘God of Daniel’ to perform wonders.

He made it into the enclosure of the lions and stared at them. The lions stared back at him. It was a most discomforting sight for everyone, including the lions. An exchange of death stares and at a point, a deafening silence fell over the whole place.

Some devout Christians in the crowd were waiting to see a faith-enhancing miracle, they believed and cheered him on, and they were praying along with him while some others were realistic enough to toughen their minds for the bloodiest drama of the century.

A crowd had gathered. But inside the den of the lions, something interesting was going on with the Nigerian Daniel and the feline beasts. Old Naija’s account maintained he kept chanting: Jah, Jah, Jah which was believed to be a shortened form of Jehovah.

Prophet Daniel Abodunrin almost became a celebrity as the lions retreated to a corner as the prophet approached their enclosure. He was jubilant and felt gratitude as some of the spectators kept hailing him for his courage.

Those expecting the lions to tear him into pieces were already feeling disappointed. They felt even more disappointed when he moved closer determined to cow the lions and turn them into goats. He felt he possessed all the heavenly authority and spiritual powers to summon angels to weaken the lions.

Unknown to the to-be African version of Daniel and some of his new fans, retreating is the first thing lions do when they see something unusual in their territory. They first observe and later they get rid of suspected intrusion in their domain.

In a flash, the lions pounced on the bemused, confused, and horrified prophet. His only weapon, the Bible flew away and landed with a thud. A bitter struggle ensued and the terrified crowd could not believe the scene before their eyes. It seemed everyone was too confused or fixated to even do anything.

The look of terror in his eyes could only be better imagined. In a matter of seconds, he was torn to shreds. He died on the spot and the lions snacked on his remains. His red robe was redder with the splatter of his blood all over the place, his torn and bloodied Bible in one corner of the lions’ cage.

A stampede ensued in the zoo as people took to their heels after seeing such a horrible sight they will never forget in their lives. The prophet’s remains were collected and later buried. That was how Prophet Daniel Abodunrin met his bitter and horrible end.

Many people condemned the prophet for such a bizarre act while others believed the lions were possessed by demons stronger than the prophet and demanded that they should be killed. While some believe that he is not a true man of God who just wanted to test his “unchristian” spiritual powers.

The Aftermath

In an instant, the story was all over the country that a pastor who entered the lion’s den was mauled to death and consumed by the beasts. Many could not believe their ears. However, there were some Christians who actually believe that the pastor was a true man of God and that the lions were actually possessed by demons to have attacked the anointed ‘man of God’. This set of Christians were enraged and demanded that the lions be killed.

At thIs point, I will make reference to the experience of a journalist from that era, someone who actually had the experience of the saga, Akeem Soboyode, he wrote of the incident in July 2004:

About a year later, I also had cause to comment on the sad and tragic escapade of a pastor who deliberately sneaked into the lion’s den at the University of Ibadan zoo and was mauled to death by a lion. Despite my growing reservation then regarding issues of religion, my interest in writing an article on that issue came primarily from the fact that I am a proud alumnus of the university and paid many visits to that zoo while I was a student there. Immediately after the tragic event, many suggested that the lion be put to death.

I argued in my article, also published in the PUNCH, that the lion was a beast, not a rational being as one would expect its victim to be. That was the way nature programmed it to react to such an event, and the unthinking “Daniel” should have known better.

I don’t recall if the lion was eventually destroyed, but I do remember that after the article was published, one of my Christian friends made a comment along these lines: “Ore (Friend), don’t you know the lion must have been possessed to have killed the pastor? Why should it deserve to live?”

REFERENCE

Pa Adetunji Matthew
Abiyamo
Old Naija
Face2face Africa
Information Nigeria
Let’s Talk History
Study and Obey

Written by Johnson Okunade

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