Paul Gindiri: A Prophet in the Shadows

True prophecy is validated by the fulfillment of a prophet’s declarations, either in his lifetime or in the aftermath of his death. (Mal 2:7; 2 Pet 1:20). In the context of this study, the prophet, Paul Gunen Gindiri, being reviewed, has gone to be with his Creator. This article, therefore, explores the role of Paul Gunen Gindiri, an obscure prophet whose humming thundering voice foretold the de-secularization of Nigeria to promote the Islamization of the country, and Nigeria’s registration in the OIC. Born into a middle-class Pyem royal family, in Pumbush in Pyem Chiefdom, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, Paul’s royal blood and upbringing alongside other experiences of life, not only facilitated his conversion to Christianity but also motivated his passion and perception of life in its entirety. Against this backdrop, he ventured into many things with a view to succeeding far above his contemporaries. His struggle to become a successful business tycoon ultimately led to an encounter with the world out there, the encounter that helped him to experience the other side of life outside his royal domain. Thus, the quest to succeed became the crucible he encountered Christ and his Gospel, and he was determined to convey this message to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. Interestingly, little did he know that his voice was going to replicate the voices of the prophets of old. This study argues that, though never recognized as a prophet in his lifetime, Paul’s predictions are vividly and synonymously crystallized in the brutal pogrom of Christians and the taking over of their ancestral lands. The paper beams a searchlight on the Nigerian socioreligious and socio-political terrains. It demonstrates that the horrible realities are hitting us in the face because the church has failed to heed Paul’s prophetic voice. To establish the ground for this assertion, the study employs a historical methodology to investigate Paul's predictions against the backdrop of Old Testament prophecies, and concludes that the current situation is galvanised by the church’s failure to live out the warnings of an obscure prophet in the shadows.