In 1991, a tragic and bizarre event shook the city of Ibadan, Nigeria.
A self-proclaimed prophet, Daniel Abodunrin, attempted to reenact one of the most famous miracles in the Bible, which is Daniel in the lion’s den. What followed was a shocking death that stunned the nation.
Religion has been described as a form of insanity in some quarters and has always sparked endless debate around faith, fanaticism, and common sense. So, on Easter Sunday, Daniel Abodunrin, perhaps charged and inspired by the power of resurrection decided to do the unthinkable to prove the impossible.
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According to reports, on that day, the University of Ibadan Zoo was bustling with families enjoying the holiday, and Prophet Daniel Abodunrin, dressed in a flowing red robe, clutching a large bible under his armpits, was determined to prove that the God who saved Daniel in the Bible still performs miracles today. Just as the biblical Daniel had been thrown into a den of lions and came out unharmed, Abodunrin believed he, too, could walk among lions and emerge without a scratch.
Some accounts claim he approached the zoo staff and pleaded to be allowed into the lion’s den. At first, they thought he was joking. But his pleas turned to persistence, and eventually, whether by persuasion or sneaking in, Abodunrin found himself face-to-face with a group of lions.
Witnesses say he began speaking in tongues, chanting Bible verses and calling on the “God of Daniel” to shut the mouths of the lions. At first, the animals retreated, an instinct when confronted with something unfamiliar. Unfortunately, Abodunrin took it as a sign. To him, the lions’ hesitation meant the miracle was working.
He moved closer, still praying and commanding the lions to remain calm. But in a split second, everything changed. The lions attacked ferociously and mauled Prophet Abodunrin. Onlookers screamed and ran in panic, but no one could stop the carnage, and by the time the chaos subsided, all that remained was a dead prophet in blood-stained scraps of cloth.
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The prophet’s remains were collected and buried. Some felt the animals should be killed, but authorities declined, arguing that the lions were only reacting to a threat in their territory. The story quickly spread across Nigeria, and the incident became a cautionary tale.
In the biblical story of Daniel, found in Chapter 6 of the Book of Daniel, the prophet was thrown into a den of lions by King Darius after refusing to stop praying to God. According to the scripture, Daniel survived because God sent angels to shut the mouths of the lions. But Prophet Abodunrin walked into the lion’s den unprovoked, perhaps to test God or to test his faith.
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Maybe God did not save him because He never sent him on that mission. After all, His ways are not our ways. While Prophet Daniel Abodunrin may have acted with deep spiritual conviction, his story is a reminder that faith, while powerful, must be tempered with wisdom.
The God of Daniel may still do miracles, but jumping into a lion’s den, expecting a repeat, is not an act of courage. It’s a dangerous misunderstanding of how faith works.
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