REVEREND Uma Ukpai may have passed on, but the extraordinary stories from his life and ministry remain alive. As part of a tribute to a man who impacted millions of lives without seeking fame, Economy Post revisits some of the defining moments of his journey to ensure his legacy endures through time,

One of such moments was in 1978 when he was kidnapped. His captors forced him to drink a cup of poison before his young wife at that time. To their consternation, he gulped the poison down calmly as if it were a cup of tea. Five, 10, 20, 30, 60 minutes passed, yet Rev Ukpai remained alive and well.

Recalling the incident later, Rev Ukpai, said:”I told the kidnappers that the poison was tea, and that poison became tea. I emptied the cup and gave it back to them. I am still alive today.”

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He continued, “My wife called my brother and friend, informing him that the kidnappers had poisoned me. When the man called me, I told him that the poison was tea and I drank it like tea.”

Rev Ukpai was the president of the non-denominational Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association (UUEA). His death occurred on October 6, 2025, but his family chose to announce it on October 13. He was known for organising crusades across Nigeria in the 1970s-1990s, drawing thousands of congregants.

He determined the future and fate of many with his prophetic and apostolic proclamations.

Another encounter with poison

In one of his crusade ground testimonies, Rev Ukpai recounted visiting a woman’s home for lunch. Moments after leaving, the woman ran after him and his wife in tears, saying that her housemaid had confessed to poisoning the food.

“The woman told me that I ate poisoned food. I told her that the poison made the food more delicious. I gave her N17,000 then for her ability to do the unexpected,” he had testified.

Boko Haram testimony

In another ocassion, Rev Ukpai travelled to Borno State for crusade in the early days of Boko Haram insurgency despite the governor’s warnings. Midway into the crusade, Boko Haram insurgents arrived at the venue, heavily armed.

While at the crusade, they saw the lame walk and the dumb speak. As they watched, they were moved by the miracles before their eyes . They watched as miracles after miracles happened. They quietly left after asking Rev Ukpai to pray for them.

More testimonies

Late Rev. Uma Ukpai was widely known for powerful miracles that occured in his ministry. One of the most astonishing events happened in London, when he prayed over the phone for a woman whose mother had died. He had asked the grieving daughter to place her phone next to her mother’s ear. Calling the deceased woman’s name three times, the evangelist brought her back to life to the astonishment of her family.

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In another instance, assassins were sent to his house in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. Upon their arrival, the walls of the house began growing taller before their eyes. Overwhelmed by fear, the hired killers pleaded for forgiveness.

On a separate occasion, assassins attempted to attack him. But when they arrived at his residence, they saw hundreds of soldiers guarding the premises. Rev. Ukpai, however, had no physical security personnel. Many who heard the story believed those ‘soldiers’ were angels sent to protect him.

“There is currently no preacher in this generation who recorded the level of miracles that occurred in Rev. Ukpai’s ministry,” said Lagos-based Pastor Samuel Adoke. “Several times, he encountered armed robbers on the road while travelling to preach. Instead of attacking him, they would bow and ask for prayers. Once, he even told a Nigerian head of state that he would be removed from office within two weeks — and the man was overthrown a week later.”