Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has criticised Apostle Arome Osayi over his controversial claims of visiting heaven, warning Christians against accepting extraordinary spiritual testimonies without questioning their biblical basis.
The veteran actor expressed his concerns in a video shared on his official Instagram page on Monday, October 19.
His intervention comes amid growing controversy surrounding the founder of Remnant Christian Network (RCN), whose accounts of encounters with Jesus Christ and visits to heaven have attracted criticism from fellow ministers, celebrities and members of the public. 
In his message, Kanayo questioned why church members continued to applaud such claims, arguing that religious leaders must exercise caution when presenting personal experiences as spiritual doctrine.
Kanayo O. Kanayo questions Apostle Arome’s claims
The actor based his criticism on his understanding of Christian teaching about Jesus Christ’s death and ascension into heaven. He questioned how a living preacher could claim to have visited heaven and return to recount the experience without prompting serious questions from his congregation.
“My dear friends and well-wishers all over the world, what is happening to the body of Christ? Who is taking over?” he asked in the video.
The actor also warned that unquestioning acceptance of religious claims could expose believers to spiritual deception.
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“Many people are going to hell with their eyes open,” he said, expressing concern that church members appeared to accept the claims without scrutiny. “This is becoming so embarrassing,” the actor said, urging Nigerians and other Africans to be mindful of the religious leaders they choose to follow.
Kanayo O. Kanayo stressed that his comments were not an attack on Christianity but a warning about the responsibility of religious leaders and the need for believers to examine teachings before accepting them.
What Apostle Arome Osayi said about visiting heaven
The controversy centres on several accounts in which Apostle Arome Osayi described what he presented as supernatural encounters with Jesus Christ.
In one widely circulated testimony, the preacher claimed that he was among 14 people taken to heaven, where they encountered Jesus and received scrolls associated with spiritual assignments. He said the scroll given to him bore the name of late Christian teacher Derek Prince.
Another account involved an alleged encounter with Jesus during a flight, which Osayi reportedly described as lasting several hours.
These testimonies have circulated widely online, prompting questions about their biblical interpretation and the extent to which Christians should accept claims of direct encounters with heaven.
The accounts remain the preacher’s personal testimonies; their supernatural elements have not been independently verified.
Abel Damina, Skales and others weigh in alongside Kanayo O. Kanayo
Kanayo is not the first public figure to question Apostle Arome Osayi’s accounts.
Earlier in October, Nigerian singer Skales reacted to a viral video of the preacher describing his alleged heavenly encounter. The musician questioned why people believed the claims, arguing that such testimonies risk making the gospel appear ridiculous to the public.
Pastor Abel Damina also criticised Osayi’s accounts, questioning their biblical basis and warning against placing excessive emphasis on visions and dreams rather than the central message of Christianity.
Meanwhile, Apostle Johnson Suleman recently criticised unnamed clerics who claim to have visited heaven repeatedly. Although he did not mention Osayi by name in the reported remarks, social media users connected his comments to the ongoing controversy.
The criticism has exposed divisions among Christians over supernatural experiences, prophetic claims and the authority religious leaders should exercise when sharing personal revelations.
Nigerians debate faith, discernment and religious leadership
Kanayo’s intervention has generated mixed reactions online, with some Nigerians praising him for challenging claims they consider questionable, while others have defended the possibility of supernatural encounters.
Supporters of the actor argue that church members should compare teachings with Scripture instead of accepting every testimony from a prominent preacher. Others maintain that Christians should not automatically dismiss experiences they believe may be spiritual simply because they appear extraordinary.
The debate has also raised broader questions about accountability within religious institutions and the influence pastors wield over their followers.
For Kanayo, the central concern is the need for discernment. His warning adds to the growing public scrutiny of Apostle Arome Osayi’s testimonies and the wider debate over how Christians should evaluate claims of heavenly encounters.
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