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Adeboye Leads Millions In Protest Against Insecurity …Demands Overhaul Of Security Framework …There’s War To Islamise, Wipe Out Christians, Enenche Alerts
The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, yesterday, led a procession of thousands of Christian faithful in a peace walk to end the spate of insecurity and killings in Nigeria.
Adeboye at the end of the church’s monthly Thanksgiving Service at its National Headquarters in Ebute-Meta, Lagos State, yesterday, commenced the protest from Ebute-Meta through Atan Cemetery in Yaba metropolis and back.
Clad in a green and white suite, Pastor Adeboye told the congregation before the commencement of the walk that the walk is in accordance with the three days fasting and prayer organised by the national body of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
Praying for about 15 minutes for the country, Adeboye prayed that killings and insurgency will come to an end in the country.
Lamenting at the state of the nation’s economy, the man of God who also prayed for the restoration of the nation’s economy and growth in all areas said there was a time that naira was equal to a dollar in Nigeria.
In his words: “There are something that the government can do alone and there are others they cannot do alone, that is why we have to pray for the country that God should have mercy on Nigeria.
“Let there be peace and security in Nigeria. God sees all things and knows where the terrorists are fighting, we pray that God sends His light to Nigeria and expose the evildoers in the country. That God should uproot all their sponsors.
“We pray for abundance, growth in every area of our economy and that every branch that God has not planted in Nigeria be uprooted”.
The prayer walk was led by Adeboye with members of the Executive Council of church.
The walk started 10:45am at the frontage of the church walk in 2km through Redemption Street to Cemetery Street and Atan area.
Adeboye who led the 15 minutes’ walk carried a placard with the inscription ‘All Souls are precious to God’.
Members were praying and carrying placards with The inscriptions such as ‘We say no to killings, ‘We say no to terrorism, ‘Every life matters’, ‘Shed no blood, it cries to God’, ‘God hurts when his creatures hurt, all creatures are created equal’ ‘silencing others right is not right, among others.
Adeboye, has said every soul lost to insurgency is precious to God whether a Christian or a Muslim.
Prior to the walk, Adeboye led his congregation on prayers for the peace and security of the country, saying, “Lord, have mercy on Nigeria. Let there be peace and security in Nigeria. God sees all things and knows where the terrorists are hiding, we pray that God sends His light to Nigeria and expose the evildoers in the country”.
He said, “After the service, we are all going for a prayer walk. We’ll march according to age. There are some who would march around the church because of their age, and there are some who would march with me to Atan Cemetery and back.”
“Every soul is precious to God whether a Christian or a Muslim. Father, we declare no more death of the innocent in Nigeria”, he said.
The cleric prayed that God uproots all the sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria.
He said, “It is written that if my people who are called by my name can humble themselves and call on me, I will heal their land” making reference to 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Adeboye lamented that some countries now ban Nigerians from coming into their territories as he prayed for the restoration of the nation.
He preached briefly on ‘Songs of Victory’ with text from Psalm 18:1-3 after which he led the congregation on the prayer walk.
Adeboye, who had instructed all members of his church across Nigeria to embark on the protest, said, “the prayer walk was aimed at offering prayers and supplications unto God to save Nigeria from being consumed by insurgents, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, militants and ritualists in all our states.”
The cleric displayed several placards saying, ‘No to further killings’, demanding that the federal and state governments should rise up to their civic responsibility of securing the lives and properties of citizens.
He also demanded that “the security infrastructure in our nation be overhauled and improved drastically” for the current security challenges to be a thing of the past.
Reacting to the US visa ban on Nigerians, Adeboye said, “Nigeria presents a high risk, relative to other countries in the world, of terrorist travel to the United States”.
The US also said Nigeria did not adequately share public-safety and terrorism-related information necessary for the protection of the national security and public safety of the US.
Although Nigeria is the only country in West Africa sanctioned by the US Department of Home Security, other countries on the list are Eritrea, Myanmar, Tanzania, Sudan and Kyrgyzstan.
Adeboye, who made his reaction known, yesterday during the church’s monthly Thanksgiving Service at the church’s National Headquarters in Ebute Meta, Lagos State, also led his congregation on a prayer walk, in accordance with the directive of the Christian Association of Nigeria, which had, in an effort to strengthen the nation’s security forces in the fight against insecurity, declared a three-day fasting and prayers to end with a prayer walk today, February 2.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had declared a three-day fasting and prayer beginning January 31 to empower the government and the military forces in the fight against terrorism and the spate of killings in the country.
The CAN President, Dr Samson Ayokunle had ordered the spiritual exercise to end yesterday with a prayer walk.
Meanwhile, the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Pastor Paul Enenche, has said that there is an ongoing war in Nigeria.
Enenche said the war was aimed at wiping out Christianity and Islamize the nation, but such would not happen.
He spoke while lamenting over the level of insecurity in the Northern part of the country which has led to the death of Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Rev Lawan Andimi, and some university students.
Recall that Boko Haram had abducted Andimi and later beheaded
Reacting to Andimi’s execution CAN had accused the Buhari-led Federal Government of colluding with Boko Haram to kill Christians.
However, Enenche while addressing his members at the church headquarters in Abuja said: “There is war in the land and its war of attrition which is a prolonged conflict that has the aim of gradually reducing the strength of those you are fighting to reduce strength, effectiveness and weary them into submission.
“There is war in our nation, whether anybody would agree or not it’s a matter of either deception or wickedness but there is war. It’s a war between good and evil, light and darkness, those who love life and death, love and hate, Christ and the anti-Christ. The antichrist is not permitted to work when Christians are here.
“There are those burying their heads and pretending as if nothing is happening and unfortunately there are Christians who for the purpose of salary are defending killers, for the purpose of what to eat today, for the purpose of relevance that would soon pass.”
Enenche recalled how Boko Haram insurgents had allegedly abducted and killed Andimi, a bride preparing for her wedding and a student of the University of Maiduguri.
He said: “it’s no longer news that between Christmas and today that some people have been killed in the North-East. I heard of a lady about to get married who was abducted and eliminated. What is happening in this country is under-reported but every day for the thief and one day for the owner.
“The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Michika, Adamawa State was abducted and decapitated this year. A young 200 level student of the University of Maiduguri was abducted and killed and his offence was that his going to school. Two other students in Mongu, Plateau State were executed on video and somebody is saying nothing.”
The clergyman also warned those in the Southern part of the country that they are not safe, adding that the authorities have failed to ensure the security of Nigerians.
Enenche, who was visibly angry, declared that Nigeria would not be Islamized under the current crop of gospel ministers who have continued to pray for the nation.
He assured Christians that the days of terrorism and those sponsoring it in Nigeria would soon be over.
“I want to tell people in the South-South, South-East, South-West that you are not safe, don’t think that because you are down there don’t let anyone deceive you. Church service can only happen when we are in a country that is safe and if you are looking to the authorities you are wasting your time.
“We have a God in heaven who will arise because we are dealing with a devil that is a permanent loser, it’s not on our watch that this nation will be Islamized that Christianity will be wiped out.
“The days of terrorism and those who support them are over forever. Nobody has a monopoly of wickedness, violence. We shall not be cowards in our nation and shall not sit and watch until we are finished like chicken.
“In some parts of the country, they formed a local vigilante and you say they can’t. You are not protecting people and you won’t let them protect themselves. Whichever way something is about to happen whichever way it goes. The time has come when village dame guns will finish their GPMGs
“Mysterious disaster shall befall them, you know they have been told that the number of people they kill will send them to hell which is their heaven,” he said.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, of alleged N570m money laundering charges filed against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
In his ruling yesterday, the trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, upheld the no-case submissions filed by Oyo-Ita and eight co-defendants, holding that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against them after about six years of trial.
“The case presented by the prosecution has no weight whatsoever,” the judge ruled.
Justice Omotosho described the anti-graft agency’s case as one “built on the quicksand of speculations, suspicions and shoddy investigation.”
He added that the prosecution failed to establish the predicate offences required to prove money laundering allegations.
“Crucial elements of money laundering offences, which are the establishment of a predicate offence, were glaringly absent in this case presented by the prosecution,” he said.
The judge held that the prosecution failed to prove that funds allegedly traced to Oyo-Ita were proceeds of unlawful activities.
According to him, evidence before the court showed that contracts linked to the allegations were duly approved and executed.
He also held that estacodes, duty tour allowances and air tickets allegedly received by Oyo-Ita were properly approved.
“There is no proof before the court that estacodes or duty allowances were approved and subsequently collected without the corresponding trips being undertaken,” the judge said.
He faulted the prosecution for failing to tender travel approvals, official memos, audit queries or other documentary evidence to support its allegations.
“The prosecution has, in effect, invited the court to engage in speculation,” he added.
Justice Omotosho further held that Oyo-Ita was neither a director nor shareholder in the companies allegedly linked to the transactions under investigation.
“The prosecution did not provide any shred of evidence to show that the monies are tainted with illegality,” the judge ruled.
He subsequently upheld the no-case submissions filed by all the defendants and discharged and acquitted them on the 18-count charge.
The EFCC had arraigned Oyo-Ita and others in March 2020 over allegations bordering on fraud involving duty tour allowances, estacodes and contract kickbacks amounting to about N570m.
During the trial, the commission called eight witnesses and tendered documentary exhibits.
However, the defendants argued that the prosecution failed to establish any ingredient of the offences to warrant them entering a defence.
Justice Omotosho also rejected confessional statements allegedly obtained from Oyo-Ita and some co-defendants, ruling that they were not obtained in compliance with provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
He held that the prosecution failed to produce video recordings of the statement-taking sessions as required by law and consequently expunged the statements from evidence.
Oyo-Ita was removed from office by the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2019, amid corruption allegations.
The House of Representatives yesterday strongly condemned the latest wave of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, calling on the Federal Government to take immediate diplomatic and protective measures.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Donald Ojogo (APC, Ondo) and seconded by Billy Osawaru (APC, Edo) during plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Lawmakers urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately initiate diplomatic steps to halt the killings, while also calling on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to begin evacuation plans for Nigerians willing to leave South Africa.
In addition, the House recommended a review of bilateral relations between both countries, including a temporary suspension of business permits for South African companies operating in Nigeria.
Speaking on the motion, Ojogo said the scale and pattern of the violence had become deeply troubling.
“The fresh xenophobic violence currently ravaging South Africa has reached an alarming rate to the extent that Nigerian nationals in that country are being selectively targeted,” he said.
According to him, “The House is worried that the lives of two Nigerians, Ekpenyong Andrew and Amaramiro Emmanuel, were killed in separate incidents linked to rising anti-foreigner tensions.
“We are worried that Andrew was arrested on April 19, 2026, in Pretoria, following an alleged altercation with officials of the Tshwane Metro Police. His body was later discovered at the Pretoria Central Mortuary, while Emmanuel died from injuries sustained after being beaten by personnel of the South African National Defence Force on April 20, 2026.
“We are concerned that both incidents were shocking as they involved South African Security personnel. The killings came amid escalating xenophobic hostility, with a viral video showing threats, intimidation, and attempts by mobs to target foreign nationals.
“The House is also disturbed that the targeted attacks against Nigerian nationals. This is a demonstration of ingratitude, especially taking into cognisance of the roles of Nigeria in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. The trajectory in South Africa is a recipe for anger and reprisals in Nigeria, and there is a need to prevent such.”
Seconding the motion, Osawaru stressed the urgency of intervention, warning that continued inaction could worsen the situation for Nigerians living in South Africa.
Following deliberations, the House mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs and other relevant committees to work with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria to establish a 24-hour emergency response desk and a legal aid fund for affected citizens.
Lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to develop and publicise a comprehensive evacuation contingency plan for Nigerians in volatile areas, including financial and logistical support for those willing to return home.
They further directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “immediately summon the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria to convey Nigeria’s displeasure and demand a halt to the attack on Nigerians in South Africa, while demanding concrete/time-bound guarantees for the safety of Nigerians.”
The House added that Nigeria should review all bilateral agreements with South Africa, “including trade and aviation treaties, targeted economic measures, including temporary suspension of issuance of business permits to new South African companies, and a review of tax incentives enjoyed by existing South African firms in Nigeria, pending demonstrable steps by South Africa to halt these attacks, prosecute perpetrators and compensate victims.”
Xenophobic violence in South Africa has been a recurring source of diplomatic tension across Africa, particularly with Nigeria. Major outbreaks in 2008, 2015, and 2019 saw foreign nationals, many of them Nigerians, targeted in widespread attacks on homes, shops, and businesses.
The violence is often linked to economic frustration, high unemployment, and perceptions among some South Africans that foreign nationals are competing for limited jobs and opportunities.
Criminality narratives have also been used to stigmatise migrants, further fuelling hostility.
Nigeria has historically reacted strongly to such incidents, at times recalling envoys, evacuating citizens, and engaging in diplomatic protests. The issue remains especially sensitive given Nigeria’s support for South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle, including financial and diplomatic backing to liberation movements.
The latest incidents, particularly those allegedly involving security personnel, have heightened concerns in Abuja about the safety of Nigerians abroad and the effectiveness of existing bilateral mechanisms meant to protect citizens in both countries.
With tensions rising once again, the House’s intervention reflects growing pressure on the Federal Government to move beyond condemnations and take firmer diplomatic and protective steps.
A Professor of Property and Human Rights Law at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Prof Grace Ogbonda Akolokwu, has called for the removal of consent requirements in Sections 21, 22 and 28 of the 1978 Land Use Act.
The university don argued that the provisions are unnecessary and delay mortgage transactions and other benefits tied to land ownership.
Prof Akolokwu made the call while delivering the 130th Inaugural Lecture of the university in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.
The lecture was titled ‘Land as Man’s Epicentre: Interrogating the Roses and Thorns under Nigerian Law.’
According to her, instead of retaining the consent clause, government should digitize land registries to create a comprehensive database of land ownership across the country.
She said the lecture aimed to underscore the importance of land to man and expose how extant laws limit the full enjoyment of land as a natural gift.
Akolokwu, who is the Dean of the Faculty of Law, RSU, described land as a universal phenomenon around which human activities revolve, calling it the A to Z of man’s existence.
“Man is land and land is man. We are sustained by land and we cannot survive without it. Land is too important for man’s survival and existence,” she said.
The university’s first female professor of Law identified eleven “roses” of land that drive development and investment.
She also listed twelve “thorns,” including insecurity, age restrictions and multiple taxation, which she said are legal barriers that prevent full ownership of lands.
She told her audience that a Certificate of Occupancy is not conclusive proof of ownership, stressing that such titles remain subject to government control and revocation.
Akolokwu stated that Nigeria’s land rights framework is more precarious than it appears, and urged a review of the Act to reflect the present realities.
Among other recommendations, she proposed criminalizing land grabbing with penalties of 10 years imprisonment or a N10 million fine to deter offenders and safeguard property rights.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Isaac Zeb-Obipi, commended the lecturer for bringing her wealth of experience to bear on the subject matter.
He said that universities have a duty to provide solutions to societal problems through inaugural lectures.
Akujobi Amadi