Interviewed by Mirabel Azangeh Tandafor Fru
The former principal of St Paul's College Bonjongo, Rev Fr Aloysius Ituka Ndifor; a school in Buea Diocese where demonic attacks were regularly reported, recounts his experiences fighting satanic practices within the school milieu. At a time many school authorities are finding it difficult to understand what demonic attacks are all about, the way Fr Aloysius Ndifor handled the situation in his former school, could provide some useful insights. Rev Fr Aloysius Ituka Ndifor is the present principal of St Joseph's College Sasse. Excerpts
Father, please tell us some of your experiences with demonic attacks in Bonjongo?
I was called up from the office that a student had been attacked. I rushed there, looked at her and asked that she be taken to the Chapel. There, we started praying. No sooner had we started than news came that more students had been attacked. I simply committed all of them to the Lord as we prayed. At some point, the devil attacked more students and forcefully too. I had to spontaneously intensify the fight. It was not easy. When the devil gives way, you hear a little girl tell you, "You think you are strong Aloysius Ituka Ndifor." Calling me straight to my face by my name and telling me, "We are going to teach you a lesson. We would be coming back." At times, true to their words they come back with more force than before. Through prayers and committing every other thing in the hands of Jesus and calling on His name, he performs his miracle through us
Why are the victims of these attacks mostly girls?
Vulnerability explains it all. Girls are the weaker sex. They are easily attracted to things through which they can be lured to join secret cults. Most satanic visitations come through things that attract the eyes and are pleasing to the ears. One of my findings is that girls easily get pulled towards these things. That is why they are the most affected.
Catholic Education officials held a seminar last school year to brainstorm on how to combat Satanism in schools. What has changed, one year on?
The sensitisation process is ongoing. The devil is very cunning. He goes round looking for someone to devour, as the scriptures say. Christians must stand up to him. Besides prayers, which are very effective in fighting the devil, Christians must remain vigilant and cautious. That is why more seminars will still be organised to enable those who did not really grab the facts during the first seminar to do so.
Couldn't some of these attacks be linked to natural factors such as hunger, excessive sunshine and poor health?
It is not sunshine or any other natural phenomenon that invites the devil to us. When we give ourselves to the devil we cause some of these things to happen. The devil then comes in, works and manifests himself through illnesses and other signs. A child, for instance, wants certain things, but knows his parents would not allow him to have them. He then enters a deal with the devil to control his parents. He says, for example, "I want to command my father to give me any sum of money each time I ask for it; without questioning me, even if it is to organise a party..." Those powers are given! When the devil gives you these things he makes you very committed and follows you wherever you go, even to Church. He attacks you if you do not live up to your promises. That is exactly what I realised with some of my students. However, constant prayers, talking with victims, pointing out the things they should watch out for, identifying isolated cases and making sure their parents are aware, and at times, convincing those unwilling to cooperate in their deliverance process. All these approaches help a lot. Fortunately as a priest, I was able to decipher exactly what to do or how to go about it, but students,who were not really willing to cooperate, were sent home because it meant they were not in school for studies.
Doesn't the dismissal of such a student only postpone the danger s/he poses to other students?
It is more dangerous to keep one spoilt cocoyam amidst the rest. Even if such a student does not want to cooperate in his/her deliverance, s/he came to school in the first place to study. If a student cannot meet up because of his/her obstinacy and reluctance, then we have no other choice than dismiss the student concerned from school.
What distinction is there between a demonic possession and a satanic influence, or a trance caused by natural factors?
One must be very careful. You don't just start shouting that a child has been possessed or attacked by a demon, once a child drops beside you. It is not in an interview like this for one to explain in detail everything about demonic presence. A starved child is bound to collapse at some point. The fact that a school is reputed in experiencing possessions and trances does not really imply that everyone who collapses is possessed.
How long should discernment take?
You have to find out from associated cases and relations about the frequency of such occurrences; whether collapsing is a routine or not, and what had been done if previous cases are reported. Even when the victim's mates try to hide anything from you, they will later on come and tell you everything they know. If you are attentive, you will realise that they shun prayers and are very hostile towards God and the things of God. At times they actually shouted at me violently, "we don't want to see you here …" In one of the cases, one of them gripped my cassock and spat in my face.
Is it easy to convince a derailed person to give up his/her evil ways and keep his/her faith?
As far as the person concerned is willing to cooperate, it is possible. You cannot delve into his deliverance without his/her participation. The person also has to supply you with the information you need. You pray together because thanks to these prayers, Jesus delivers the person possessed. The devil is afraid of prayers made in Jesus' name. When he/she becomes very prayerful thereafter, the seal will be broken at some point. Prayer has always been my key in fighting demonic attacks. My strength is courage in God, but I must confess it is not easy. We must all live by God's guidance.
Do you communicate with some of the students you have delivered to know how they are doing in their faith?
I have been in touch with most of them. They have also been a source of information to me. Some of them give me the details of how these things manifest. In my office, one of the girls was given a slap while she was revealing certain things to me. I only saw how she fell from the chair she was sitting on to the floor. I took out my Stole and was beating the air with. She shouted: "Yes Father, beat them up. They are running." It is only then that I saw the imprints of the invisible fingers on her jaw. She had actually been slapped! Her friend with whom she came to the office got very scared. She fell even though she had not been slapped.
Any advice on how not to get entangled with evil spirits?
The devil needs us. We do not need him, and he knows that. Why then do we get frightened and join the devil? The devil needs us because we are made up of two entities-the soul and the body (Corpus et Spiritus) The devil does not have that, it has only the spiritus, and that makes us more than him. So let us not be afraid. Whether we go to Church or not, our natural religion tells us that God is implanted in us because he created us in his own image and likeness. On their part parents should not get frightened to the extent of giving their children the so called protections. If you do, you are giving your child a flag which the devil will easily identify. Some parents rely so much on the prayer aids they give their children who do not even know how to use them. Some of the Bibles being sold around may look good, but contain something else. This is white magic!
What prayer aids should students own?
It's just best to have a pure heart and God will live in you. Sacramentals, like the Rosary and other effigies, work through one's faith. Faith heals and saves.
Any last word!
The devil has the ability to render an individual mute to prevent him/her from revealing previous dealings in the demonic realm. Let us not live in fear, though fear is always there and will always be there. Try to build up a strong personality hinged on God.
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