The Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, has stirred widespread reactions after recounting how he instructed a kidnapped pastor to hand his phone number to abductors, declaring they would die within hours if the victim was not released.
Oyedepo made the remarks during a sermon at Canaanland, Ogun State, where he spoke extensively on what he described as the spiritual authority believers possess over adversity, including insecurity.
Recounting the incident, the cleric said:
“One time, one of our pastors was carried by kidnappers. I said give him the phone and I said in 24 hours, if you don’t check him out, you are dead. The place was vibrating on the spot.”
He continued:
“I said give him the phone and I said, ‘This is me, in 24 hours you are dead.’ I don’t want to die o. If anybody picks you, give them my number. If he is not cut down, I am not sent by God.”
According to Oyedepo, the pastor was subsequently released, which he attributed to divine intervention triggered by faith and spiritual authority.
The bishop used the testimony to encourage members to recognise what he described as the power embedded in redemption, insisting that believers often underestimate their spiritual capacity.
“You don’t know what you are worth and you are begging. You carry the same force if you can only discover it. Redemption is not a religious principle,” he said.
Oyedepo also narrated another account involving a female church member who was reportedly abducted but declared her release based on his teachings.
“One of our daughters was captured somewhere. She said, ‘My father said I am getting out of here by 7am.’ Not that I spoke to them, they didn’t call. They started cutting themselves. Some said you should go, some said you shouldn’t go. They were cutting themselves… They said, ‘Please start going,’” he stated.
He stressed that the experiences reflect the supremacy of spiritual authority over what he termed “forces of darkness,” urging Christians not to succumb to fear.
“Don’t let the devil ride on you. You have been raised far above the devil,” Oyedepo declared, adding, “If the church does not conquer these devils, God has left heaven.”
The comments come amid persistent security challenges across parts of Nigeria, where kidnapping for ransom remains a major concern. While Oyedepo’s remarks were framed within a religious context, they have sparked debate over faith-based responses to insecurity and the role of spiritual leadership in addressing real-world threats.
Observers note that his statements, delivered with strong conviction, are likely to resonate with his large following, even as they raise broader questions about the intersection of faith, security, and public perception in Nigeria’s ongoing fight against kidnapping.
