The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has suspended Idowu Iluyomade, the senior pastor of the City of David Parish, following a glamorous 60th birthday celebration held by his wife, Siju Iluyomade, a week after the death of prominent church member Herbert Wigwe. The tragic helicopter crash, which occurred on February 9 in California, claimed the lives of Herbert Wigwe, his wife Chizoba, their son Chizi, and several others.
A letter conveying the suspension was issued over the weekend.
Quick checks on the church’s Instagram page confirmed that neither Pastor Idowu Iluyomade nor his wife Siju were featured in posts from the recent Sunday service.
The church governing council decided to suspend Pastor Iluyomade, popularly known as PID, for three months after establishing a panel to investigate the allegations against him. “It was not Pastor (Enoch) Adeboye that suspended him. The governing council decided to suspend him. I think it’s a decision in the right direction. Though some believe it is coming late. They needed to investigate some of the things people were saying against him and the church,” a top pastor in the church was quoted as saying.
Pastor Iluyomade has been replaced by Pastor Charles Kpandei from RCCG Resurrection Parish of Region 11.
The suspension follows the controversy surrounding Siju Iluyomade’s lavish birthday party at Eko Hotel, which many netizens criticized as insensitive. Critics argued that the celebration was held in poor taste so soon after the death of the Wigwe family, who were strong members of the parish. Social media was flooded with negative reactions, with many suggesting that the church should have dedicated time to mourn Herbert Wigwe, his wife, and their son.
Adding to the controversy, the church was conspicuously absent from the Wigwe family funeral, further fueling the backlash against the Iluyomade family.
This suspension marks a significant development within RCCG, as the church aims to address the concerns raised by its members and the wider community regarding the actions of its leaders.
