The General Overseer of Prayer Centre Church of God, Akure, Samson Oluwamodede, has declared that governments at all levels in Nigeria have failed in their responsibility of protecting the citizens.
The cleric called on the people of the country to pray and seek divine intervention, which he said remained the nation’s last hope.
He stated this during a ‘Prayer Walk Against Insecurity’ organised by the church in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Sunday, where the pastor and members of the church staged a walk on major streets of the state capital.
The event, which lasted more than three hours, saw hundreds of church members march through major roads in Akure, carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as: ‘Stop Terrorism, Save Our Children,’ ‘Let There Be Peace in Nigeria,’ ‘Lord Restore Our Economy,’ ‘End Banditry in Nigeria,’ ‘Save Nigeria,’ among others.
The cleric said the church could no longer remain silent in the face of worsening killings, kidnappings and terrorist attacks across the country, lamenting that recent abductions of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo and Borno states underscored the gravity of the nation’s security crisis.
He said, “I am one of the prophets called by God, and Ondo State is my base. I cannot sit here silently and watch what is happening in Nigeria. There are killings everywhere, bloodshed, kidnappings and many disturbing developments. There are situations that, if not addressed quickly, can escalate beyond control. That is why I called all my members to join me in this prayer walk in large numbers. For over three hours now, we have been moving around Akure, praying for Nigeria.
“The federal government has tried its best. State governments, the police tried, and even the soldiers tried, but they failed. But I believe that if the government has failed, God will not fail us.
“You can only tell the truth to a government that is willing to listen. Even if they are ready to listen, where is the access to them? But I am very sure they will hear about this prayer walk. We are also praying for them, both the federal and state governments. May God help them.”
Reacting to the abduction of school children in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, the cleric lamented that insecurity was no longer limited to any particular region, stressing that the South-West, once considered relatively peaceful, was currently experiencing growing security threats.
“There is no doubt that there is insecurity in the South-West and Nigeria as a whole. The government did the little they could; traditional rulers also did their best, but they all failed. They failed woefully. The only one who will never fail us is God. That is why we are calling on God to intervene now,” he stated.
