Pastor Jimmy Odukoya Shares Why He Still Has Dreads: “God Told Me Not to Cut My Hair to Save a Life”

• Nigerian preacher, Pastor Jimmy Odukoya's reason for keeping his long dreadlocks seemed to have ruffled some feathers
• In a video that was posted online, the former Nollywood actor shared how God told him not to cut his hair to save a life
• Jimmy Odukoya’s claim triggered an online debate after the video went viral, with netizens dropping their hot takes

Nigerian preacher, Pastor Jimmy Odukoya, has claimed that God told him not to cut his hair to save a life.

It is no news that the former Nollywood actor took over from his late father, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, and became the head of the Fountain of Life church. However, since his ordination, there has been some criticism about his appearance.

Just recently, the Woman King actor addressed the situation during a sermon by preaching about how God told him to keep his hair for someone to be saved.

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He said:

“One of the things I asked the Lord was whether or not to cut my hair and the Lord told me not to cut my hair, and I said ‘alright’, I don’t know what you’re trying to do but I’m crazy enough to follow you, let’s do it together.”

Jimmy Odukoya added that even his sister tried to get him to cut his hair, but he told her to pray, and she eventually saw a vision and knew he wasn’t meant to.

The pastor said that in February 2025, a woman flew in from Zimbabwe just to see him. The lady recounted how she had a vision in 2016, and in the vision, she saw him with his long hair preaching with a sword, and she had a dog on her shoulder, which represented a burden. According to her, Odukoya prayed, and the dog was struck by thunder and lightning from the sword.

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He said the lady recounted:

“It was 2016, I was in New York, it was Thanksgiving and I had a vision, it felt so real. In this vision, I see you with your hair, you were speaking to me and I’d been dealing with somethings in my life and there was like this dog on my shoulder and I knew that it represented the weight I was carrying and she says ‘you had this long sword and you began to speak to me and it felt like lightning and thunder was coming out from the sword and it burnt the dog into ashes and you began to declare over me and I gave her certain instructions’, she said when ‘I came out from this vision, it was so real that I told everybody in my family about it, about this person that I saw, this pastor with long hair and a sword. It made no sense but I told everybody.”

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Jimmy Odukoya said that in 2025, the lady was going through a lot of things when she decided to go on YouTube, and she saw a video of him preaching. She was very excited because he was the man with the long hair in her vision.

Pastor Odukoya then said that if he had listened to people’s opinions, the woman’s life would not have been saved. In his words:

“If I had listened to the opinion of people who told me ‘you cannot have the call and have this hair, it’s not African, it is not Godly, God told me to keep my hair to save the life of someone.”

Below is the video he shared on Instagram:

Reactions to Jimmy Odukoya's sermon about his dreads

Jimmy Odukoya’s story of how he listened to God not to cut his hair and it saved a woman’s life became a topic of discussion after it went viral on social media. Netizens had mixed feelings about it.

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gochgochbrand said:

“Ah Pastor, you see how you have used storytelling to illustrate God's word, to illuminate light to his word, to show the power of revelation between God and humanity? This is the essence of your life from actor to pulpit. There's a shift that happens to me every time I hear your teachings and reflect on each. I'm teaching my 13year old son the value of knowing God for himself and it makes sense to him, he loves it.”

Funmiokonta said:

“Wow!!! Know God and hear God for yourself! I’m reminded of how God instructed Hosea to marry a prostitute. Picture that in today’s world.”

Call_me_mommy_kings said:

“He even wear gold for ear😂 God say make you no remove am too😒😂.”

Nomzy48 said:

“I always find this his hair situation, admirable. I love d fact he didn’t shave it cause it would seem a Christian-man MUST wear low cuts. It’s his natural hair (only lengthier).”

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Iam_bmodel said:

“God no tell you anything, do your fine boy in peace, no involve God.”

Peachy_kiks said:

“Is using your natural hair for dread a sin? Cos I don’t know if I’m missing something.”

_jay_ekha wrote:

“As per Samson wey him be. If it is another person now they will turn it into another sermon.”

Hilaryklinton__________ said:

“The return of Samson.”

Jay_siyanbola said:

“If nah Adeboye or Oyedepo talk am now, una go dey shout no slander of papa will be tolerated.”

Queenkolijnr said:

“Just lying against this “Lord”.”

Jimmy Odukoya speaks on Richie the Barber's appearance

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Jimmy Odukoya trended online over his recent statement that physical appearance doesn’t matter when it comes to being used by God.

Odukoya had urged his congregation to refrain from judging others based on their outward appearance, citing Instagram influencer and pastor, Richie the Barber, as an example.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng