“Tell me, how many mosques and Muslim clerics had they burnt and killed so far?” He asked. In a situation like this, according to Bishop Oyedepo, “we need an urgent call for concerted intercessions.”
On the Chibok schoolgirls, Oyedepo said, “the case of the abducted over 200 Chibok girls is a matter of grave concern and assault on the nation and the church of Christ in particular.
“As you might be aware, Chibok is largely a Christian community and 80-90 per cent of these girls are Christians. This is apart from thousands of believers and a number of pastors, who had been slain— mainly “during worship services in churches from 2010 till date.
“We must arise and silence this evil group called Boko Haram.”
He also implored members across the country to desist from act of waste, saying a situation where Nigerians spend a whopping sum of N499 billion monthly on recharge cards is wastage.
Bishop Oyedepo, who said he was surprised when he received the infomation, therefore, admonished members to stop living lives without budget, adding that it was even bad to have more than one phone.
‘Boko Haram, enemy of every Nigerian’
In another development, the Primate of Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), The Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, declared the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect as enemy of mankind, which should be fought and conquered by all.
He made this remark on Sunday, after the service for the presentation of four newly-elected archbishops of the church and the dedication of the new Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Minna, Niger State.
The cleric said the group, whose dreaded activities had claimed over 4,000 lives, had become evil that must be do neaway with, adding that all must rise to wage war against the sect, in order to restore peace to the country.
According to him, “we have evil at our doorsteps being perpetrated by the Boko Haram. The group is nothing, but an enemy of mankind.
“Let every Nigerian, irrespective of faith, tribe or political affiliation, rise to fight this our common enemy. We all should say no to Boko Haram.”
He then warned that the war against the group was not exclusive, but collective battle, if we don’t want the sect to spell doom on the nation.
“If we don’t say no to the Boko Haram, it will consume all of us. Everybody should say no to the Boko Haram. It is not a one-man problem. So, if we don’t resolve to stand against this evil (Boko Haram sect), it will consume everybody.”
He debunked the claim that the church had been lukewarm in the country; rather, he said it had continued to provide meaningful and well-thought-out advice to those in positions of authority at all levels of governance.
A special prayer session for peace of the nation and quick release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls by the Boko Haram was led by the Bishop of Calabar, Right Reverend Tunde Adeleye.
Boko Haram founded in kingdom of hell —Maku
Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, on Sunday, said the Boko Haram sect, which had continued to terrorise parts of the country, was founded in the kingdom of hell and called on Nigerians to rise up in prayers and support the ongoing efforts of the Federal Government to defeat terrorism and criminality in the country.
He attributed the insurgency in parts of the country to the manifestation of the spiritual struggle between the forces of light and darkness and expressed the belief that light would always triumph over darkness.
Speaking at a special church service for peace held at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, Utako, Abuja, the minister urged citizens to eschew pride and ego and support the government of President Jonathan in its efforts to return the country to the path of peace and sustainable development.
The church service was the climax of events lined up by the Peace Intercessors Group, a non-government organisation, to commit Nigeria to prayers and call for citizens’ participation in the campaign to conquer insurgents in the country.
The minister noted that there was the need for states and local governments to organise their people in such a way that they would always be vigilant and report suspicious movements and characters to the authorities for prompt action.
Source: Tribune