Prophet Adebisi Rotimi Williams is one servant of God that is completely sold out for Jesus and his gospel, perhaps, to redeem his lost years in criminality. While he was in prison in a North African country, he had an encounter that transformed him from criminality to Christianity. Prophet Rotimi Williams, now Senior Pastor of Victorious Life Word Outreach Ministry, Ikotun, Lagos, shares his odyssey from crimes to Christ in this interview with Christian Benefits’ Funmi Olarinde.
Please can we meet you sir?
I’m Prophet Adebisi Rotimi Williams from Ondo town, Ondo State. I had my early education in Akure and Ondo. I attended St Joseph College, Ondo, for my Secondary education. At the death my parents I left Ondo for Abuja. I furthered my education at the Federal School of Science & Technology Suleija, Niger State before I gained admission into the University of Benin to study Agricultural Economics. Unfortunately, I couldn’t complete the course because I left the university in the 300 level because of my involvement in cultism on the campus.
What happened to you after you left the University of Benin due to cultism?
After I left the university I traveled to Italy because my life was being sought for. When I landed in Italy I met different people engaged in various kinds of criminal activities and they introduced me to all sorts of crimes which eventually led to my incarceration in a prison in a North African country. When I was in that prison, I met Christ when he appeared to me and said he allowed all that happened (to me) for a purpose. Christ’s intervention in my life cut short my 17 years jail term. I did spend 1/10th of term in the prison. After I left the prison, it took me about three and half months to travel by road through Sudan, Chad back to Kano. I came down to Lagos and lodged in a hotel. I had lost all that I laboured for years. I was a wealthy drug baron and successful dealer in ammunition. Before I lost my wealth I owned about five buildings in different parts of the world. But I lost everything.
How did you grow up in the faith after your encounter with Christ in prison?
After I left the hotel one Pastor Olusola Adeogun, Founder of Lordship of Christ Assembly; now of blessed memory, took me in. He showed me the light of Christ. From there I started my Christian journey. I give God glory I’m waxing stronger in the faith till date. Before my criminal escapades, I was a brilliant boy from a very humble family. I grew up living with my grandmother who never wanted me away from her sight. I started smoking cigarette when I was 8 years old. My grandmother knew I was smoking because she sold cigarettes. I stole her money. Yet, she wouldn’t scold me or report me to my parents till she died. My parents then picked me up. Unfortunately, I lost my father when I was 12 years old. Eight years later my mother also died. This development finally took me to the streets. But, thank God today the Lord has been gracious to me. It pays to be on the side of the Lord. There is peace in Jesus. Before, I had money and connections but there was this vacuum that gave me restlessness and no peace in my life. Right inside me then I knew I was not heading to anywhere good with my bad character.
Share with us the details of your encounter with Jesus while you were in prison
It was after some Moroccan preachers preached to us and distributed some tracts to us. When it was night the weather was abnormally cold. I wrapped one of the tracts into cigar and smoked it. After I smoked the stuff I couldn’t sleep. Suddenly, I saw somebody standing in front of me. He was very tall and wore a white garment. He then asked me, ‘Do you know I can set you free?” three times. I replied, ‘If you can set me free, set me free.’ He turned his back at me, and I saw written on his back “Jesus, the Son of God; the Saviour of the world.” I saw my hands in chains but sword in his hand. He then touched the chains in my hand with the sword in his hand, and said to me, “I have set you free. You will leave this place and be my spokesman in all the nations you have been to without my name.” On the third day after this encounter a lady came to the prison and called me out. She said she went through my case file and discovered that the government of the Arabic country didn’t give me an interpreter during my trial. I actually refused an interpreter during my trial because I feared the interpreter would speak in favour of the government since it is the government that pays the court interpreters. The lady said she would appeal my sentence and advised me to say I can’t speak Arabic on the appeal date; that I’m a Nigerian, I only speak English. On the day that I appeared in court for the appeal filed on my behalf by this lady, I escaped and went straight to the house of my friend, Richard. He was shocked when he saw me. I begged him to please raise money for me to return to Nigeria otherwise if the government comes to search for me in his house and find me both of us would be arrested. He quickly gave me $500; his wife also gave me $100 to leave their house immediately. That was how I traveled by road back to Nigeria.
