Pastor who laid hands on COVID-19 sufferers, claiming to heal them, has died from the virus

Frankline Ndifor Twitter/AkereMuna

A pastor who claimed to have 'healed coronavirus sufferers by laying his hands on them' has died from Covid-19, sparking fear among his followers.

Sufferers of the coronavirus had flocked to the Kingship International Ministries Church in Cameroon where Pastor Frankline Ndifor, 39, who was a candidate in the central African state of Cameroon's presidential election in 2018, claimed to cure the disease,

Ndifor, who was called a 'prophet' by his supporters, reportedly started suffering from severe respiratory difficulties one week after contracting the virus. He died just ten minutes after treatment.

The entrance to his home in the capital city of Douala was blocked for hours by his followers, blocking medical staff from retrieving the body. His followers prayed and hoped that he could be resurrected. He was eventually buried in front of his house.

One of Ndifor's followers said: "This is a pastor that has been laying hands [on the sick] and claiming that he cures COVID-19. If you, the person that claims that you are curing COVID-19, you are dead, what about the fellow people that were affected by the COVID-19?"

Ndifor placed 7th out of nine candidates in Cameroon's presidential election in 2018.

So far, 140 deaths have been recorded so far in the country.