General Overseer Worldwide of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye

BY FRANCIS EZEM

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God RCCG, Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Saturday broke his long silence over the continued wanton massacre of Nigerians by  Fulani herdsmen especially in Benue, Nasarawa and Adamawa States, predicting that the 2019 general elections will not take place unless the Federal Government takes urgent steps to stop the carnage.

Recall that the United States President Donald Trump had Monday told Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, who was on a state visit to the White House, Washington, that the killing of Christians in Nigeria must stop, insisting that the US would not tolerate the continued killing of Christians in the country.

Adeboye, who spoke to over five million worshippers while delivering a sermon entitled: “Stronger than Your Enemies 5” at the May 2018 edition of the monthly Holy Ghost Service at the Redemption Camp, made particular reference to the invasion of the St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Ayar Mbalom community in the Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State by armed Fulani herdsmen, killing two priests and 17 other parishioners.

According to him, no one should think of having a general election in Nigeria if the relevant authorities do not take urgent step to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians, warning that those behind the killings are trying to invoke a religious war in the country, which might consume the entire nation if care was not taken.

“I woke up one morning and my wife told me you are unusually quiet this morning and I asked her why will I not be quiet when 19 of my children have just been killed?  The people killed are my sons and daughters”, he lamented with a feeling of nostalgia.

He also told the worshippers that he has seen war, describing wars as a terrible thing, insisting that anyone trying to cause another war, especially a religious war in the country does not love the country and her people.

Adeboye said: I have seen war, it is a terrible thing and I tell you no nation survives a religious war. That Nigeria may live, these killings must stop, let the killings stop now”.

The General Overseer, who also led a prayer session asking God to stop the killings in Nigeria, also enjoined other Christians, especially members of the RCCG to continually join him in praying for the killings to stop.

Present at the Holy Ghost Service were top politicians in the country including the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Governor of Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Udom Emmanuel.

President Buhari had while reacting to attack, described it as “vile, evil and satanic”. The President’s position was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina.

He also said that the killing was a calculated attempt to stoke up religious conflict and plunge communities into endless bloodletting, warning that the country under his leadership would not bow to the machinations of evil-doers.

He also promised that the assailants would be hunted down and made to pay for the sacrilege committed.

However statistics show that despite assurances by the government, there have been several other attacks across the three states, especially Benue in which scores of Nigerians were murdered in cold blood and many others displaced.