Article written and sent in by journalist, Ihechukwu Njoku. Read below...
Two survivors of the tragic incident that saw a Bristow helicopter crash
into the lagoon in Oworonshoki, Lagos on Wednesday 12th August, 2015
have testified that it was 'God's hand' that saved them from certain
death.
On Sunday 25th October, oil workers Chukwudi Onah and Dolu Ebiejuara
appeared in the church of controversial Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua to
thank God for preserving their lives in the disaster that led to six
fatalities, including that of the pilot and co-pilot.
According to Onah, it was 'Morning Water' he had received at
The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations' (SCOAN) that was instrumental to his
survival. "I never leave it anywhere I am going. It's always with me,
along with my Anointing Sticker," he explained to the congregation.
"On that fateful day, before I left my room, I prayed
that God would take charge and thanked Him for journeying mercies," he
continued, stating that he sprayed the 'Morning Water' upon himself.
According to Onah, there were no signs of trouble as the
flight was going "very smoothly". However, merely minutes away
from arriving at Lagos Murtala Muhammed Airport (DNMM), tragedy struck.
"The chopper suddenly turned," Onah vividly
described. "Everybody became confused. We were shouting Jesus! The chopper
was dangling up and down. I didn't even know when it fell inside the
water."
As the Bristow Sikosky S76 C+ helicopter began descending
steadily to the bottom of the lagoon, Onah was strapped heavily into his
seatbelt and could not move. "I shouted, 'God of TB Joshua - save me'
", he recounted, adding that his lungs soon filled up with water.
According to the SEDCO oil worker, what transpired next can
only be termed 'supernatural'. Staring death in the face, confused and
struggling to free himself, Onah said he heard a 'voice' speaking clearly to
him.
"It's just as you are hearing me now. The voice said,
'Your seatbelt.' I took my hand to the side of the seat belt and it became
suddenly loose. The same voice came again and said, 'Your lifejacket'. I took
my hand to the side of the life-jacket and it suddenly inflated. It now carried
me up from down to the top of the sea."
Onah somberly recounted that the two passengers seated
directly besides him were among the fatalities. "If not for Jesus, I would
have died. I give the glory to Jesus Christ who saved my life," he said,
bringing out the 'Anointing Sticker' from his pocket that he had with him on
the day of the ill-fated journey.
Dolu Ebiejuara similarly stated that he was a regular
visitor to The SCOAN and had ministered 'Morning Water' before entering the
helicopter that day. Recounting his experience, he said, "All that I saw
was the helicopter take a sharp turn and then we were just plummeting down."
Moments before the crash, Ebiejuara said that he lost
consciousness. "All I could remember was that I saw myself swimming. There
is no way I could have come out of the helicopter without removing my seat belt
but I was not the one. I don't even know how I came out under the water. I know
it is God's doing because there is God's hand in the Morning Water."
The duo both sustained injuries but have since recovered. They
were accompanied by more than seventeen family members who came to share the
testimony.
Intriguingly, T.B. Joshua himself was not present in the
service, making it more than five months since he has been seen in public.
Ihechukwu Njoku is a freelance Nigerian journalist
