Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, has revived a warning he first sounded 15 years ago, expressing deep concern over increasing insecurity in Nigeria.
His renewed alarm follows a series of recent attacks on churches in which worshippers were killed and others abducted, incidents he described as unacceptable and spiritually troubling.
Speaking during the 4th Pre Shiloh Encounter Service monitored yesterday, Oyedepo said developments within the last two weeks had raised serious worries about the nation’s direction. He stressed the need for urgent and collective prayers to halt the killings, insisting that human lives must never be traded for comfort or political convenience. “There is need for a prompt response in prayers to stop the killings once and for all. You can’t trade people’s lives for your comfort,” he said.
The cleric declared that the blood of innocent victims would “speak vengeance” and warned that those responsible for violent attacks would eventually face consequences. Emphasising his deep connection to Nigeria, he added, “No one is more Nigerian than myself. We all have our ancestral grounds. We all know power passes power, no power passes the power of God.”
He urged members of his church to engage in midnight prayers, describing it as a spiritual response to the rising violence. According to him, every member should stay awake and intercede before the situation descends into full anarchy. Referring to the attacks on churches, he questioned how worshippers could be killed or abducted during service “and nothing happened,” insisting that divine justice would intervene.
Oyedepo reinforced Nigeria’s spiritual identity, insisting that “when God steps in, the pride of men is cut,” and expressed confidence that the nation would not fall into chaos. He cited scriptures to emphasise that God’s voice brings peace, noting that he had been raising this warning for 15 years and felt compelled to speak again. The cleric also condemned the wider acts of violence, kidnapping and terrorism across the country, urging believers to pray for justice and for the downfall of perpetrators.
Meanwhile, international concern over attacks on Christians in Nigeria has continued to rise. Italy has become the second G7 nation, after the United States, to openly demand an end to what it described as the killing of Christians. In a statement posted on X, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the “renewed violence” against Christian communities and called on the Nigerian government to strengthen protection for all religious groups. She expressed solidarity with victims and communities who feel endangered because of their beliefs, aligning Italy with global calls for accountability.