Hand of of a pries during a ceremony in his shrine in Benin, Nigeria, July 1, 2018. Thomson Reuters/Foundation Kagho Idhebor
Addis Ababa: Police in Ethiopia's northern Amhara regional state have arrested a "doomsday prophet" who caused widespread panic over claims his village would be wiped out on Monday, state media reported.
The state-owned Amhara Mass Media Agency (AMMA) reported that the prophet had told his followers in the village of Ergoye that he had recently returned from heaven with a gloomy message.
"I have just returned from paradise with a message from god. The people in my area will be wiped out on Monday," AMMA reported him as saying.
"When I entered paradise I met a woman who said she is the Virgin Mary, I also met god..." he claimed.
The prediction prompted residents to shut schools and businesses for several days, the AMMA reported.
Ethiopia is a deeply religious society, with surveys showing the vast majority of Ethiopians believe in a supernatural deity.
In recent years, the proliferation of quasi-evangelical movements and charismatic preachers has sometimes spawned "cult leaders".
