In a powerful address that has resonated across Nigeria's Christian community, Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church Worldwide has called for urgent spiritual intervention amid growing security concerns in the country.
Spiritual Response to Security Threats
Speaking during the 4th Pre-Shiloh Encounter Service on Sunday, the prominent cleric expressed deep concern about recent violent incidents targeting churches, where worshippers were killed and others abducted. Oyedepo described developments in the past two weeks as particularly worrisome and emphasized the need for immediate prayer action.
"Developments in the past two weeks, particularly in Nigeria, are worrisome to say the least," Oyedepo stated. "The need for a prompt response in prayers to stop the killings once and for all. You can't trade people's lives for your comfort."
The bishop issued a direct instruction to church members, directing them to engage in coordinated midnight prayers between 12 am and 1 am. He characterized this spiritual exercise as a "midnight raid" against those responsible for the attacks on worshippers.
Historical Context of Educational Institution Attacks
The bishop's call to prayer comes against a backdrop of persistent violence targeting educational institutions across northern Nigeria. Between 2009 and 2015, schools experienced repeated attacks largely attributed to Boko Haram insurgents.
The first documented attack occurred on July 29, 2009, in Maiduguri, Borno State, when Success International Private School had four buildings set ablaze. The violence escalated in subsequent years with multiple schools destroyed, including Yerwa Primary School in 2010, where 36 classrooms and offices were destroyed.
By 2012, the attacks intensified with coordinated bombings destroying multiple primary schools in Maiduguri. The violence spread beyond Borno and Yobe states, affecting educational institutions in Gombe State as well.
Escalating Violence and International Attention
The year 2013 marked a particularly brutal period, with students killed while taking examinations in multiple locations. The College of Agriculture in Gujba suffered one of the deadliest attacks, claiming at least 50 students' lives.
In 2014, the abduction of over 200 girls from Chibok Senior Secondary School brought international attention to Nigeria's security crisis. The attacks continued with hundreds of students killed in Gwoza, Konduga, and Buni Yadi, while dozens of female students were abducted.
By 2015, Boko Haram had occupied Zanna Mobarti Primary School in Damasak, detaining over 300 pupils and 200 women and children until security forces from Chad and Niger intervened.
Shift to Widespread Kidnappings
In recent years, the threat pattern shifted from mass attacks to widespread kidnappings. December 2020 saw 344 boys abducted from a boarding school in Kankara, Katsina State, coinciding with former President Muhammadu Buhari's visit to his home state.
The pattern continued in 2021 with 279 female students taken from Government Girls Science Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State, and approximately 120 pupils kidnapped from Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State.
By this period, roughly 1,000 schoolchildren had been kidnapped across Nigeria since the start of 2021, with most releases occurring after ransom payments.
Oyedepo referenced his long-standing warnings about Nigeria's security situation, noting he had been "shouting this for 15 years." He emphasized his deep connection to the country, stating "No one is more Nigerian than myself," while asserting that "no power passes the power of God."
The bishop concluded with a firm declaration: "Every attack against the church shall be met with divine justice. Don't politicise human life; it's immoral. Let's join our hands and our hearts together and pray that prayer."
