The celebration of Life and Times of the founder of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Surulere District, Ayo Ni O, Special Apostle Prophet Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye.

The life of Special Apostle Prophet Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye can be described as Scripture-coded and Scripture-fulfilled; for while some people receive visions from God, others are appointed to run with the visions.

The vision of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Surulere District, Ayo Ni O took off from the Cherubim and Seraphim Church which was established in Nigeria in 1925 by St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase. According to records of the Church, a prophecy had foretold that the Cherubim & Seraphim Church would be exported out of Nigeria and be established abroad in 40 years time. Unknown to all who heard the Word of the Lord, Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye’s life became divinely ordered towards the fulfillment of that prophecy.


Early steps to destiny
Prophet Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye was born on Wednesday, 11th March, 1936, at Imesi-Ile, Obokun North Local Government Area of Osun State to Pa Samuel Oke Fakeye and Marian Olayemi, his mother. Young Fakeye’s foundation was laid in the Methodist Church where the family worshipped and his father was ordained a senior steward. He had his primary education at the Methodist School, Imesi-Ile, but couldn’t continue due to financial constraints. Fakeye then moved to Ilesha and took up employment as a humble office clerk with Ajanaku Transport Services on a salary of one British Pound and ten shillings monthly. There, Fakeye rose to the position of supervisor before he moved to Oni & Sons, where he was opportuned to train in Advanced   Automobile Engineering for two and half years. Armed with the knowledge, the young man travelled to Ibadan for practical experience, but could not secure employment with the big automobile companies. Fakeye later moved to Lagos where he joined the Signal and Telegraph Department of the Nigeria Railway Corporation(NRC). Another door opened as he was posted to Zaria, Kaduna State, and Fakeye fortified his studies by attending extra-moral studies, through which he passed his G.C.E and his First Year City & Guild. He left Zaria for London in 1964 and threw himself into top professional studies at various institutions, starting with the Hackney Technical College of East London, South East Technical School, Borough Polytechnic, Northern Polytechnic and the Executive Telecommunication Training College, Oxford, England. In those five years, Fakeye obtained the full technological certificate in Electronic and Telecoms (which is the equivalent to MSc today), and a Higher Honours Diploma in Satellite Communications. He also created time in-between to undertake several theological trainings while abroad; he was constantly and consistently seeking to broaden his knowledge base.


Prophecy fulfilled
Barely a year after arriving in London in 1964, Prophet Fakeye with a number of like-minded people, started the Cherubim & Seraphim Church, holding the first service in 1965 at the residence of Most Reverend Samuel Abidoye — the current Spiritual Head of the Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide, bringing to fulfillment the early prophecy some 40 years earlier. His secular career upon his return to Nigeria, Fakeye secured employment with the Nigerian External Telecommunication (NET). He also held various offices, including Higher Technical Officer, London Telecommunications. He was appointed to serve as one of those engaged in the building of the first satellite earth station at Lanlate in Oyo State, Nigeria. In January I973, he was called to head the Telecoms Engineering arm of Henry Stephens Group and later became the Group General Manager, Electrical and Electronics. Fakeye combined both appointments until May, 1989, when he resigned to undertake full time Evangelical vocation.


The Surulere Movement
Fakeye was the General Leader of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Surulere), Ayo Ni O. Acclaimed globally as ‘The Psalmist’, he was a televangelist and a Christian radio talk show host. His style of worship by prescribing verses from the Songs of David for the cure of everyday ailments and problems encountered by his followers, earned him the nickname, Ayo Ni O. Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Surulere), Ayo Ni O, became known globally in the early 90’s when the Church’s choir released an album titled ‘Lehin Jesu Ko Senikan’, a song that instantly became a hit, and ‘Oba Lori Aiye’ which became a praise song among Christians far and near. In the Lord’s vineyard In December 1989, Fakeye was made the Chairman of Central Planning Committee of the entire Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church. Upon assumption of office, Prophet Fakeye declared the determination and commitment of the Central Planning Committee to building a virile, united, strong and spiritually sound Church Organization. His committee pursued very thoughtful policies and programmes directed at establishing a new spiritual, moral and social cultural order combined with a dynamic overseas policy of evangelism in several foreign countries. At the church’s national conference level, in 1991, Prophet Fakeye was made the coordinator of all Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Overseas. A blue-print that would usher in the glorious dawn in the Movement Church history was being approved. Fakeye arranged the visit that took the Spiritual Father, the Late Pastor J. T. Agboola to America. Under his leadership, relationship with other religious organizations more became cordial.

Honours
Fakeye was conferred with numerous honours and awards from various religious and civil organisations in Nigeria and many countries in Europe and America. He became the conference Special Apostle in 1996 in Zaria and was also made a Special Adviser to the Baba Aladura Shofarasin. He maintained and rightly too, that OAIC must accommodate all religious groups, and that Cherubim and Seraphim Church of Nigeria be a generic name acceptable to all members of the unification council.

Without any doubt, Fakeye’s greatest contributions to Christian evangelism were his popular radio programmes tagged ‘Orin Iyin and Edidi Iye.’ These programmes have been running for three decades, producing soul-lifting and spirit-reviving messages that nurtured and nourished many individuals and households. A major aspect of his evangelism was his talent for bringing about inter-religious peace and harmony. Prophet Fakeye was endowed with immense gift of vision at a young age, but his father being a Methodist, attributed this to possession by evil spirits. Fakeye also loved reading the Bible, singing hymns and praying. His affiliation with the Movement Church Fakeye became an Aladura in I957, but wasn’t a full member until he moved to Zaria. It was in Zaria that he developed the prophetic ministry. He passed through the tutelage of the late prophet Akinrele, who was a great teacher. 

Speaking about her husband at his 70th Birthday in 2006,his wife, Special Mother-in-Israel, Prophetess G.A. Fakeye, declared: “I am proud of who you are and the God you believe in. You are God’s man, in God’s place, at God’s time, and for God’s purpose. I honour you and the many wonderful qualities you are blessed with. You have led multitudes to God and you have shown many how to mend their broken fences.”

Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye was a courageous and devoted Prophet of God, a loving husband, a doting father, a person of manifest devotion to family and friends. A leader with profound knowledge, grasp, appreciation of immense convictions and faith in the unity and greatness of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Organization in Nigeria and the entire world. He was well-liked by his followers and respected worldwide. He will be greatly missed by the global Christian community.

Until his death, he was the General Leader/District Chairman, CSMC, Surulere District; Member, Nigeria Religious Council, (NIREC); President, OAIC, and Member, National Executive Council and Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN).