The Living Faith Church Worldwide International (Winners’ Chapel
International) and founder Bishop David Oyedepo has said that video of the
founder asking the church members to kill suspected “militants” who go
near his church was shot in 2015.
The Church through the Chairman of the Church’s Editorial & Media Board,
Sheriff F. Folarin, said the the Bishop was not reacting to the current
hostilities between Christians and Muslims in southern Kaduna and the
video.
The Statement reads:
“Our attention has been drawn to a salacious piece of fake news in
mainstream and social media platforms, that Bishop David Oyedepo, Founder
and President of Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel
International) charged Christians to take up arms and attack Muslims in
the recent Kaduna killings and that if religious and ethnic injustice
could not be addressed, Nigeria could as well break up.
“The fake news item, which has been trending online for a couple of days,
is supposed to be a report depicting the Bishop reacting to the
hostilities between Christians and Muslims in southern Kaduna in which
unnumbered persons, mostly Christians have been killed.
“In this report, Bishop Oyedepo purportedly called out and berated the
politicians who were fun-watching while the carnage went on or fanning the
embers of the violence, and supposedly noted that there was no basis for
Nigeria’s continued unity.
“For instance, in the online version of one of the popular Nigerian
newspapers (Vanguard of January 12, 2017 reported by one Anthony Ogbonna),
the Bishop was quoted as saying: “God has anointed me to lead a revolution
against the Islamic jihadists” The Bishop is presented to have made very
provocative and inciting comments to his congregation, declaring a
counter-war against the Fulani and fanatics in the recent Kaduna crisis.
“The report is false. The video from which the quotes were taken is a 2015
video at a Sunday service in the heat of the Boko Haram crisis, when
churches, including our Northern assemblies were under frequent attacks.
This was before the present administration took office. The message bears
no relevance to today’s happenings; not even developments of 2016. The
reporter(s), either being completely unprofessional, lazy or simply
wicked, made the 2015 message look like a 2017 church service message. The
trending video is NOT a 2016 or 2017 video.
“To this end, we can unequivocally and authoritatively say that this
quote, the report and other similar reports do not fit the context of the
Kaduna crisis or any developments whatsoever in the last one year. “The
reports are therefore fake, unbelievably and maliciously fabricated and
outright lies. They are tweaked, baseless, and fraudulent.
“Bishop Oyedepo has not said, either in private or public, anything
related to the Southern Kaduna killings: not now, not hitherto. If there
has been anything done, it has been prayer for peace and unity of Nigeria.
The intent of the original author(s) or fabricators is best known to them.
“However, what is baffling is the degree of lowliness of today’s
journalism practice. If any online media seeking patronage or relevance
had bolted to the newsroom with this piece of white lie, shouldn’t the
supposedly more responsible ones take ethical steps, namely, to confirm,
substantiate and ascertain the authenticity of such claim before going to
press and avoid joining the bandwagon of sensational and irresponsible
journalism?.
“Moreover, our church is an open one, with a website that has online media
resources, from which all our audio and video tapes and other materials,
from time immemorial, can be freely accessed. All our archived videos are
unedited. Also, there are hard copies of all the church messages in our
libraries and bookstores. Again, we have a Media and Editorial Board that
can be consulted at any time. But, which of these mediums did the writers
of the fake reports avail themselves of before publishing?
“For the records and for posterity, Bishop Oyedepo will not say any of
those things in view of current dire straits in which Nigeria has found
itself. There are too many problems at hand, which require divine
intervention. He will not add to the throes and utter such divisive words.
As a father of the nation and a Pan Africanist in his own right as a
religious leader whose ministry spreads across the continent and beyond,
he is a huge believer in the corporate entity called Nigeria and has been
a messenger of national love, hope, peace and unity.
“While he feels for the victimized people across the length and breadth of
the country and his heart goes to them, he has always worked with
government at all levels to keep Nigeria safe and strongly unified.
“The Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel International) has
never been a Yoruba church, or a Southern Nigeria church; it has always
been a church for all Nigerian church, a platform where all persons of all
walks of life bond in the name of Jesus Christ. For those who may not
know, Bishop Oyedepo’s first major break in Christian ministry was in
Kaduna, his second home, where he is a friend and father to millions of
people of all religious and ethnic backgrounds.
“Indeed, our church has been a catalyst for the Nigerian hope and dream
and with its two universities and numerous secondary and primary schools
nationwide, the church has made it possible for Nigerians to come closer
as one people to rebuild our fatherland.”