Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, has told his followers to give kidnappers his phone number if they are kidnapped, claiming he has the spiritual power to secure their release.
At a recent service at the church’s Canaanland headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, he made the declaration. On Thursday, a sermon clip went viral on social media.
“If anybody picks you, give them my number, give them my number.”
He said, “One time, one of our pastors was carried by, what do you call them, kidnappers.
“I said, give them the phone. I said, in 24 hours, if you don’t take him out, you are dead.
“The place was vibrating. On the spot.”
In another account, he narrated how a female church member was held captive but declared she would regain her freedom by 7 a.m. He said no call was placed to him, yet the abductors allegedly began harming themselves before releasing her.
“She said, ‘My father said, I’m getting out of here latest by 7 a.m.’ They didn’t call. They started cutting themselves.”
“You have been raised far above the devil. If the church does not conquer these devils, God has left heaven,” he said.
Kidnappers deserve no mercy and should be dealt with swiftly and decisively. As soon as they are caught, they must be killed immediately to serve as a strong deterrent against such heinous acts. Instead of instilling fear through vague warnings, it would have been more impactful for Bishop Oyedepo to call out his phone number openly to his congregation, sending a clear message that justice will be swift and uncompromising against kidnappers.
