By Wellington Jopelo
A fresh wave of reactions has followed comments by Bishop David Oyedepo after he told members of his church to hand over his phone number to kidnappers if they are ever abducted.
The founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide made the remark during a sermon at Canaanland in Ogun State, where he spoke on spiritual authority and protection.
His statement, which has since gone viral online, was presented as a demonstration of confidence in what he described as divine backing to secure the release of victims.
Speaking to the congregation, Oyedepo insisted that members should not panic in the face of abduction but instead rely on faith and authority.
He recounted an incident involving a church pastor who was kidnapped, claiming he issued a warning to the abductors through a phone call and the victim was released shortly after.
In another example, he spoke about a female church member who was held captive but declared she would regain freedom within a specific time frame.
According to him, the situation reportedly turned against the captors, leading to her eventual release without direct intervention.
The cleric used the accounts to emphasise his message that believers possess spiritual power capable of overcoming threats.
He urged members to embrace that mindset, stating that they have been positioned above forces of evil.
The sermon clip, shared under the church’s #SupersonicSunday tag, quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing mixed reactions from the public.
The development comes amid ongoing security concerns in parts of the country, where kidnapping remains a major challenge affecting many communities.