The marriage between Aboy Chibuzor, a man living with autism, and an Edo-born woman has stirred widespread reactions since it surfaced on social media.
Much of the controversy has centred on the founder of Omega Power Ministries (OPM), Chibuzor Chinyere, who facilitated the union.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Aboy, who is non-verbal and requires daily support, married the mother of three on Sunday.
Responding to the backlash in a viral video obtained by this newspaper on Thursday, the cleric, widely known for his philanthropic efforts, explained the unusual circumstances that led him to arrange Aboy’s marriage.
Opening up on the circumstances, he said, “I employed the first nanny to take care of him, the second nanny. In fact, I now have some boys. The boys, I have to force them because they don’t want to take him and bathe him again. In fact, he reached a point where even welfare had to recommend what he was doing in school. Because he attended an autism school, he was really trying to molest some things. He would normally bring out his something (manhood) there at the school.
“So, the first time, welfare recommended that this boy do something, I pleaded he should not be expelled. So, I kept him in the house. Again, about two weeks ago. The thing was really bad. In public, he would bring out his manhood. You know, he can’t control himself. I brought him to the altar. It was last Sunday. And I said, ‘Is there anyone who would marry him?’ You know. To fulfil the urge. Not necessarily a young lady. But someone mature. Someone who cares for him. Take care of him.”
My son
Mr Chinyere said his decision to arrange a wife for Aboy sparked mixed reactions on social media when he first announced it.
He explained that Aboy was one of over 500 boys he had adopted over the years, noting that many of them had since grown into responsible adults.
The cleric added that a number of his adopted sons had come of age and were now building lives of their own.
“He’s somebody I love so much. He was someone who was dumped. And when we invited the police, he was dumped. Abandoned. We invited the police. The police carried him to a motherless baby room. They rejected him. The mother-in-law rejected him. And the police had to bring him back to me. To my house. Since then, he has stayed with me.”
Backstory
This newspaper reported that Aboy’s wife said she had turned down several earlier marriage proposals.
This, she said, was because she preferred to wait for what she believed was “God’s guidance before settling down.”
She added that she had made a personal vow to Jesus to remain pure, and she chose to keep that promise until she met the man she regarded as her husband.
The woman said, “It is a vow I made, and when that spirit told me, immediately I texted dad. I also texted Mummy Welfare, and I told her. Yes, I will be the one. I want to pay that sacrifice. It is a sacrifice. It is a very big sacrifice.
“When I look at our Lord Jesus Christ, the sacrifice he paid on the cross of Calvary. Nothing is too big for me to do the same for our Lord Jesus Christ. This young man here is a child of God—an adopted child of Dad.”
The woman added that when God instructed her to marry Aboy, she reached out to Mr Chinyere via text to inform him of her decision.
She explained that she felt certain about the direction she had received and acted on it without hesitation.
“Not only will I marry him, but I will also take care of him as a son. As my king. As a husband. As a brother. Because I know people will speak against it. People will say all manner of things. But I am after what the Lord Jesus sent me. Because I made a vow to God. Any day I defile this body. Let him not spare my life. Let him kill me. That is the vow I made to God.”
