Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, founder of Word of Life Bible Church and former president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, has opened up about his secret battle with cancer, disclosing that he spent over $120,000 on treatment during a gruelling four-month medical ordeal in the United States. 

The cleric made the revelation in a series of videos shared on his verified Instagram page on Sunday, May 24, drawing widespread attention and an outpouring of support from Nigerians across religious and social media communities.

Oritsejafor said he deliberately kept his diagnosis from the public and from most members of his congregation while continuing to fulfil his ministerial duties in Nigeria. Despite enduring severe pain throughout the period, he attended church programmes, participated in celebrations, and maintained his public composure throughout, a choice he framed as an act of faith.

“I was in pain, but I was still doing my best for God. There was cancer in my body. I was laughing, I was smiling,” he said. The cleric did not disclose the specific type of cancer he was diagnosed with.

The pastor recounted that doctors in the United States initially told him the cancer had spread to other parts of his body, raising fears that it may have reached his bones. Further tests, however, returned with more hopeful findings, showing no cancer in his bones, after which treatment began immediately.

Complications arose during his hospital stay when he developed a severe infection that medical staff initially struggled to manage, leading to plans for an additional surgery. Those plans were eventually called off after an elderly physician recommended a course of antibiotics instead, which proved effective and allowed his condition to improve steadily.

Throughout the ordeal, Oritsejafor said he had hoped to travel to the United States alone in order to preserve his privacy, but his personal assistant, identified as Bayo, refused to be left behind and accompanied him at his own expense. The pastor credited Bayo’s insistence as pivotal, noting that the months-long treatment would have been far more difficult to endure alone. Strict infection control measures were enforced during his hospital stay, with all visitors required to wear full protective clothing before entering his room.

Now recovered and back in Nigeria, Oritsejafor said his testimony was meant to encourage believers to stand firm in faith during silent struggles and to remain a source of support to others regardless of personal inconvenience. His disclosure has since ignited broader conversations online about the cost of cancer treatment, medical tourism by Nigerians, and calls for the church to invest more substantially in healthcare infrastructure across the country.