Theophilus Olabayo, the founder and primate of the Evangelical Church of Yahweh Worldwide, on Sunday called for a three-day national fasting and prayer to avert an impending “darkness” hovering over Nigeria.
The cleric who was speaking to Premium Times in Lagos, Mr. Olabayo said religious leaders are no longer able to help salvage the country because a lot of them are after money.
“We have never seen anything,” said Mr. Olabayo. “Worse things are about to happen. Famine will be so great… we said we are going into agriculture but it’s not reflecting.
“There is a government that is coming, after that government the country will now be divided along geographical zones.”
The church leader commended President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as the only Nigerian leader to confront corruption frontally.
“The president has gone on leave, that’s what we were told. He’s a human being. Even if he’s sick, nothing is wrong for him to tell us as a country to pray for him,” he said.
“Whoever wish him dead is an enemy of this country because the man has really tried. First time we saw a man who confronted those looters. And they are not happy, they’re ganging up against him. They are throwing missiles against him.”
“God has allowed Buhari to start the foundation. We need to be prayerful. There is too much blood in the country. He, himself… you know he said that he did not know that the problem was this much, that it was as bad as this before he took over. He has done well. He’s an elderly man, over 70.
“God is going to show people that He loves Nigeria, He’s going to teach people sense. The judgment of God is coming, there will be total cleansing.
“He’s not the messiah. Let’s continue to pray for him. I did not say he is going to die, I never said so. But let’s continue to wait for him.”
On the invitation of the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Johnson Suleiman, by the State Security Service, Mr. Olabayo called on the government to tread with caution.
“I like what Suleiman did by condemning the killings in Kaduna. Muslims have been killing Christians, it is time it is stopped. If anything should happen to Suleiman the country would be set ablaze.
“Why should they even arrest Suleiman? On what grounds? Because he spoke the truth? That these herdsmen, where are they coming from, who sponsored them, they kill people…
“Leaders are there in Kaduna, let there be peace. They should not kill anybody, they should not burn any churches any longer in Kaduna State or anywhere in the north. Enough is enough. If they don’t stop it, those innocent people they killed their spirits will rise to start fighting against the killers. Enough is enough.
“If an intruder should come to me, they should deal with that person. Suleiman is right. We are not fools because we are serving Christ, then you come to burn churches, kill innocent people and I’ll allow you to go? You will not go.”
Mr. Olabayo, 71, is known for his yearly prophecies. While some had come to fruition, others had gone off the mark.
He said although Mr. Buhari is not the messiah Nigerians were waiting for, the problems currently afflicting the country were not caused by him.
He accused some church leaders, including those in Aso Rock, of writing prophecies favourable to the government and giving them to other pastors to say.
“It’s not Buhari that is the problem, it’s all his advisers. If I have my way, all of them should be sacked in that government, because they are not doing well, it’s not reflecting. There is no water, the roads are bad, armed robbers have taken over, hunger, anger, terrorists… I prophesied these for long. Over 20 years ago, God told me about these,” Mr. Olabayo said.
“Religion can never go hand in hand with politics. If you’re a pastor and want to contest, leave church and enter into politics because you cannot serve two masters. It is not the politics that is dirty, the people there are dirty.
“I love Buhari because he has done well, at that old age. Upon all these people they have arrested, the money they said they got, it’s not reflecting on us. Why? Yet things are getting worse, inflation has taken over, people are dying of hunger. Even if he’s dying, he’s not God or angel that cannot die.”
