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By Tracy Moses
BENUE: The Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC) Worldwide, Dr. Pst. Paul Enenche, has called for a new kind of leadership in Nigeria, one that values the lives and wellbeing of citizens over political ambition and refuses to compromise the security of its people.
Dr. Enenche, speaking in Benue State after donating relief items such as rice, noodles, and mattresses to victims of the recent killings in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, decried the spate of violence and the seeming indifference of those in authority. He insisted that a lasting solution to the persistent bloodshed lies in raising leaders who are compassionate, sincere, and not obsessed with remaining in power.
According to him, “What this country desperately needs is leadership, both at the national and subnational levels that will prioritize human lives over politics. We need leaders who act with conscience, who understand that one day they’ll account for their stewardship before God.”
He condemned the killings in Benue and other parts of the country, likening them to genocidal acts, and urged the people to rise and take responsibility for their own protection.
“We are in Benue today in solidarity with our people, in the wake of these horrific massacres, unspeakable evil that has consumed families and left entire communities in grief and ruins,” he said.
“We’re here to say: light will never be overcome by darkness. No matter how thick the darkness gets, light must triumph.”
Dr. Enenche emphasized that Nigeria must seek God’s forgiveness as a nation and plead for divine intervention in giving the country compassionate leaders who will not govern with political bias or neglect.
He said: “We must all pray. Whatever we’ve done as a people that keeps bringing us leaders without empathy, may God have mercy on us. Let Him give us leaders who will not sacrifice citizens on the altar of politics.”
He added that both federal and state lawmakers have a duty to enact laws that criminalize and punish such atrocities, lamenting that many legislators appear detached from the suffering of the people.
“What is the point of making laws when they don’t translate into real protection for citizens? We need laws that deter these killers. And legislators must remember that power is not forever. Everyone in office will eventually leave. So let them act now, before it is too late,” he charged.
Dr. Enenche called on the people to no longer remain passive in the face of such threats, but to take proactive steps to defend themselves and their communities.
“It is time for the people to say: enough is enough. We must take our destinies into our own hands and do all we can to secure our lives and homes. If we must organize ourselves to defend our territories, then so be it. This is not just about comfort anymore, it’s about survival.”
Sharing the grief of victims, he narrated tragic stories of families devastated by the violence.
“One man here had seven children. Six were murdered in a single night. He has just one left. Another man lost his wife and child that same night. He only survived because he traveled. The pain is unimaginable,” Enenche said, holding one of the bereaved relatives close.
Offering words of consolation to the families, he said, “Only God truly understands the depth of your pain. No one can say ‘I understand,’ because only God does. May He comfort you, strengthen you, and bring justice and answers to this terrible situation.”