The Apostolic Faith Church has announced that its services are now being held with significant security presence due to the ongoing insecurity in the nation. The church clarified that this step was essential because of the unpredictable nature and frequency of attacks on places of worship by bandits.
During a visit to the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ondo State Council, as part of the Ondo/Ekiti 2025 camp meeting activities, a member of the church’s Board of Trustees for West and Central Africa, Prof. Joseph Oba Fatoba, shared this information.
Expressing concern over the worsening security situation in the country, Fatoba emphasized that Christians are not the only ones targeted; the insecurity in Nigeria impacts every citizen, regardless of their faith.
“For a while now, we have had security personnel overseeing our services. It wasn’t always this way. On Sundays, while worshippers gather, security personnel must be present. We want to prevent any unexpected issues from arising.
“Insecurity affects everyone—Christians, Muslims, and others. It has become a national concern. If we attempt to link it solely to religion, we may struggle to combat it. The devil is behind these events,” he stated.
The cleric asserted that only a national prayer can save the country from its current predicament, pointing out that all other strategies previously employed by political leaders have proven insufficient.
He mentioned that the church’s daily and weekly prayer sessions will be open to all Nigerians, adding that the church initiated intensive nationwide prayers two weeks ago to help alleviate the overwhelming insecurity in the country.
Meanwhile, the NUJ leadership in the state expressed that the church and religious leaders should be praised for their efforts in using prayer to intercede for the nation. NUJ chairman, Leke Adegbite, noted that in some countries, “a fraction of what we are experiencing would have caused chaos. But God has shown mercy.”