Their names are headline fodder, their ministries hugely successful and they have intriguing lifestyles. This is the story of Nigeria's most enigmatic pastors.

Chris Okotie:
A trained lawyer and pop idol of the 1980s, Okotie's Household of God Church in Lagos is located in a former Warehouse he bought for N40 million and converted into a sumptuous building mirroring his taste. With its marble clad front walls, reflecting glass windows and well-tended decorative plants, it is regarded as one of Nigeria 's most beautiful church buildings.

Though not of spectacular size, it offers a swishy ambience for worshippers. The auditorium is air-conditioned and will decorated. Okoties' office on the upper deck of the building has covered walls, a guitar and giant portrait of Muhammad Ali. His congregation largely consists of young company executives and well educated businessmen.

Okotie's teaching are delivered in high-sounding grammar, earning him accusations of promoting style over substance. But he has always been a man of style. He is a chic dresser, a lover of fancy automobiles and when driving on Lagos roads, he is provided security cover by armed police men.

He also owns a gun, which he acquired after a robbery attack on his home in the upscale Opebi area. The former pop star has an impressive dog kennel, featuring various breeds. At the end of every year, he holds an awards ceremony Karis Awards.

The award, which carries a cash prize of N500,000, is given to aged persons who have distinguished themselves in public life. Mrs. Magret Ekpo and Hajiya Gambo Sawaba have been beneficiaries. The ceremony also attracts top politicians. The last edition was chaired by Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu. Then, Okotie is also a politician. He contested the last presidential election and has already declared his interest in the next one.

Okotie's major companion may be the N\Bible, but he is also within a touching distance of controversy. Separated from his wife, Tina for many years he is often romantically landed with every available beauty queen and beautiful celebrity women, many of who are members of his church.

Okotie also has a reputation for taking on other pastors. In 2001, he accused Chris Oyakhilome of fetish practices because Oyakhilome visited Prophet. T.B Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations. The same year, he released a book, The Last Outcast, which many branded heretical. Yet it was feverishly bought and sold by his followers.

His property portfolio is impressive. A few years ago, Okotie bought the huge stretch of land opposite his church, making him the owner of virtually everything on the street, named after his church. His roots in music have not withered. He released an album in 2001. His ministry, whoever, has just one parish.

Okotie's reason for opposing spread is that it is through church branches that doctrines are corrupted.

MATTHEW ASHIMOLOWO
An accomplished motivational speaker with tremendous following and a glamorous lifestyle. Ashimolowo is a prolific writer, who teaches that faith brings wealth. He is also popular for recorded sermons which are bought even by members of other denominations.

Formerly based in the United kingdom Ashimolowo's church Kingsway International Christian Center (KICC), is one of the biggest in England, Established 20 years ago in London, with a congregation of 17, the church has 12,000 members. It also has branches in Accra and Lagos, where he currently resides. Early July, 2006, a new branch was dedicated in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

Ashimolowo left Britain in 2002, following allegations of tax evasion and mismanagement leveled against him by the British Charity Commission. He was accused of living in a rent–free house owned by a charity organization established by him, and of using the charity's credit charity to buy a timeshared property in Florida, United States .

A timeshare is an arrangement under which joint owners have rights to a property to be used as a holiday home. Ashimolowo was said to have received 120,000 pounds as a birthday gift and spent 80,000 pounds on a Mercedes. The Charity Commission's investigations also concluded that the church had mismanaged its 8.5 million income and that its leaders personal interests conflict with their duties. Investigations added that the assets of Ashimolowo's charity were not used for the purposes stated in its registration.

In addition, the pastor and his wife were alleged to have receive tithes totaling 384,000 between October 1992 and September 2000. Of this 338,334 was paid into the account of one of his companies for “pastoral services."

The church was eventually taken over by receivers, who found boxes containing cash, cheques and invoices being loaded into a car. Last year, the charity was handed the control of the church, making it a charitable company rather than a trust. The new arrangement stipulates that Ashimolowo pay back 200,000 pounds.

Prior to the crisis, the church was controlled by a pastoral board which included Ashimolowo and his wife, Yemisi. In an address to his congregation, Ashimolowo admitted that the church made a couple of mistakes in its transactions, but insisted no fraud was found.

He said if fraud had been found, the church would have been closed down rather than re-opened under a new administrative structure. The pastor is now planning to build a 10,000- capacity auditorium on a land allocated to the 2012 Olympic games.

WILLIAM KUMUYI
A former university teacher, Kumuyi is the founder and head of the Deeper life Bible Church and Deeper Life Christian Ministry. Until the Pentecostal boom of the late 1980's and 1990'd, his church was Nigeria 's biggest Christian movement.

The church still remains big, drawing huge crowds to its cathedral in Gbagada, Lagos and other branches spread across the African continent. It also has large camp grounds in Lagos and on the Lagos/Ibadan expressway, the preferred site of pastors. The Deeper life ministry sells tapes of his teachings. He is also a prolific writer and has a satellite television arm.

Kumuyi's teachings place the accent on holiness. He avoids the showbiz mode favoured by modern pastors. He prescribes staid dressing, a development that leaving Deeper life for hipper churches.

PROPHET T.B. JOSHUA
He speaks halting English, but is more famous abroad then his smooth- speaking counterparts. His Synagogue of All Nations in Egbe, Lagos , is almost as big as Oyedepo's Faith Tabernacle. The church is frequently visited by foreigners, especially from South Africa.

It has also hosted prominent people. These include Mr. Frederic Chiluba, former President of Zambia; Goodwill, Zwelthini, king of South Africa's zulu race, whose daughter was allegedly cure of epilepsy by Joshua; Pastor Chris Oyakhilome; former Liberian warlord, Yormie Johnson and Chief Alex Akinyele, former information Minister.

Joshua's church has a big dormitory, printing press, video and audio recording studios, a big cyber café and supermarket. Opposite the church is a large expanse of land also owned by him. The land has an ultra-modern bakery. Joshua's weekly services are like sell-out concerts.

To gain access into the church, a worshipper is expected to buy a publication sold at the gates. Fondly called the Man in the Synagogue, Joshua's effect on his followers is awesome. Aides tremble before him, avoiding his gaze. They also remain on their knees when they are in his presence. He has a television ministry which airs his services and crusades on many local and intentional station.

Culled from TheNews.