Oyedepo
The general overseer of the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, David Oyedepo, on Sunday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over the persistent killings across the country linked to armed herdsmen.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how violence involving armed nomadic herdsmen and farming communities has led to the death of hundreds of people across many states, especially Taraba, Benue and Plateau.
The government has, in a bid to stop the violence, announced plans to create ranches. However, the plan has also been criticised by many Nigerians and is believed not to have the support of some key members of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
In a YouTube video posted on his church’s official page, the cleric said the honourable thing for the president to do was to resign since he seems unable to stop the violence.
Mr Oyedepo, one of Nigeria’s most influential Christian clerics, titled his sermon “enough is enough”.
“That is my word for Mr President, resign and get out of the place,” he said.
“Even our Islamic friends from Northern Nigeria are calling for him to resign, it is the most noble thing to do,” he said.
The cleric also gave his view on the persons responsible for the killings.
“Herdsmen don’t shoot and they have been with us all along,” he said. “But these group of people just take over the herdsmen to attack innocent citizens, wake up in the night and slice children to pieces and you have a government in place.”
The cleric, who called for a seven-day prayer and fasting in order to pray “Nigeria out of trouble”, said if you don’t push war back, you will be suffering the plague for years.
“Forever, I stand on the fact that no government has the authority to collect any land from those who own it and transfer it to another,” he said.
“We are not the only ones observing the prayer and fasting. It cuts across churches and we are praying the same thing,” he said.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Oyedepo, earlier in January, flayed the attacks by herdsmen in Benue State. (Premium Times)
