“They told me I was in the hospital and the gun blinded my eyes because the bullet went into my skull. And so, the brain content also flowed out. From what they told me, they came to rescue me and they saw me in a pool of blood.”

That was the account of Pastor Samuel Tamaramiensinde Ukuli when PENGlobal Entertainment reached out to him on Saturday, the 19th day of September 2020. Since the incident occurred, the 23rd day of September has become a day of Thanksgiving in the life of Pst. Ukuli, as the gory incident would have cut short his life “if not for the saving grace of the Almighty God” he firmly believes.

Today, Pastor Samuel Tamaramiensinde Ukuli (who loves to be addressed as Pastor S.T. Ukuli) is a serving minister at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG. He once served at the Holy Ghost Vineyard Zonal Headquarters, Oporoza Town, Gbaramatu Kingdom in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta state, his home kingdom.

The incident happened on the 23rd of September 1998 from a communal conflict that turned brothers into strangers. Pastor Ukuli, who was having a nap in his grandfather’s house in the early noon time of the day, was awakened by the sounds of gunshots. And in an attempt to flee to safety on sensing danger, he was hit by a bullet.

“It was about 2:33pm thereabout,” recounts Pastor Samuel. “There was a little communal crisis, some misunderstanding that shouldn’t have led to killing of each other. I was sleeping; it was the sound of gun [sic] that woke me up. So, with the eye of someone sleeping, I woke up and being unaware of what was going on I dashed out of my grandfather’s house in which I was resting. I saw some people with guns and I was trying to run away from them, turning my back on them. And that was all I could remember."

It would be months later before the young man would get to know what had actually transpired afterwards based on the accounts of witnesses who narrated to him how he was rescued from the jaws of death.

“Later, after some months, I discovered I was in the hospital. I didn’t know what happened; I didn’t know the people who actually rescued me. I started asking questions of where I am. They told me I was in the hospital and the gun blinded my eyes because the bullet went into my skull and so the brain content also flowed out.

“From what they told me, they came to rescue me and they saw me in a pool of blood. They went to collect herbs to place on my head; they used some pieces of cloth and tied my head. They said I bled on that afternoon until the second day because there was no doctor to attend to me. They said I bled until my body turned pale. And so they were just giving me red oil to drink (saying it has power to kill the poison of the bullet).

“It was until the second day going unto the third day in the afternoon that some persons came from Ogbe-Ijoh, they had heard of the crisis. One Ebis Oboko, a younger brother to High Chief Oboko Bello was the one that drove the speed boat that carried me from Kokodiagbene community to Warri. It was really a battle… but I use the issue to glorify God as He actually saved me,” Pastor Ukuli noted.

Today, Pastor Ukuli counts it all joy as the incident had changed his life. To him, it was “a divine arrangement to capture me because actually as a person, if I want to do something, I don’t look back; I always focus on that thing. And I believe God has already seen it that if He saves me I will go haywire for the Word. And so, I believe God used that incident to actually take me to His side technically and He knows what He actually did.”

If there is one thing Pastor Ukuli preaches against, it is violence. Being a youth who was a victim of violence, he has never stopped counseling the youths and appealing to them to see his case as an example for them to believe that there is indeed God and that they should fear and revere Him.

“To my fellow youths, I advise that in all we do we should remember God. We should not take laws into our hands. We should fear God. We should respect our leaders and we should always think of the welfare of others. If you actually have the spirit of love, you wouldn’t want to take anybody’s life, you would like to make sure you live in peace.

“If I was blinded by that bullet and God opened my eyes to see again, why would you not believe that there is God? Those that were there saw what happened and they can testify that I lived and survived by the grace of God. 

"So please my fellow brothers and sisters, let us serve God and remember Him, for He is our hope, our joy and final destination,” he counseled.

In appreciation, Pastor Ukuli said he thanked God for the lives of some people God used to help him survive during that critical time. According to him, “Some people were community executives at that time; people like the late Rev. Dr. I.C. Tolar (may his soul rest in peace), Chief (Elder) J.G.B. Ari (RIP). Also I appreciate Sunday Omuze, Sylvester Ari, my elder brother Israel Ukuli, my late uncle Amos Awana Ukuli, my late brother Barr. Ebi Ukuli and wife Barr. Boye Ukuli. I want to thank God for their lives and there are still many others, I can’t actually mention all their names.

“I want to thank God for Gbaramatu Kingdom, the leadership at that time, how they were able to settle all of the issues. But all were just to glorify the name of God. It is not to show oneself, it is not to let the people know that I am stronger or whatever. I am not even strong, I am not even wiser; God is wiser, God is stronger. God is richer. God is everything,” he concluded.

Truly, the story of the life of Pastor Ukuli is an amazing testimony. Indeed, the Children of God are told to always give thanks irrespective of the circumstances they find themselves in, and that all things work together for good, especially for those who love God. The story of Pst. S.T. Ukuli shows us that God can turn negativity into positivity, and like a potter, He can use any situation or encounter in life to remould us into that which He desires for the glory of His name.

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