Persecution of Christians on the rise, says Osinbajo

Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has called on
Nigerians across religious divides to rise in unison against
growing cases of religious intolerance in Nigeria.

Speaking while inaugurating the over 40,000 capacity new
headquarters building and church auditorium of the Depper Life
Bible Church, Gbagada, Lagos, Osinbajo said the federal government
is doing everything in its powers to protect the freedom of
worship.

He said religious intolerance remains a major challenge against
the socio-economic revival of Nigeria, disclosing that President
Muhammadu Buhari has given him the mandate to intervene in areas
that are facing such challenges with the aim of bringing enduring
peaceful co-existence.

He lamented the growing persecution of Christians in many parts
of the country, including places where they are being prevented
from erecting their places of worship and promised that the
government is doing all that are within the law to ensure the
rights of all Nigerians are preserved as enshrined in the
Constitution of Nigeria.

“Persecution of Christians is on the rise. The devil is hard at
work, stoking religious tension. I call on all Christians not to be
broken even as security are working hard to prevent such
occurrences and protect the lives and property of every citizen,”
he said.

“The devil’s biggest agenda is stoke up a religious conflict in
Nigeria, one that would make it impossible for anyone to preach the
gospel while the security agencies continue to work relentlessly to
wipe out the perpetrators of these evil acts.

“And to bring a permanent end to all of the killings going on in
the name of herdsmen, Boko Haram or any other name, we as a body of
Christ must not lose focus.

“We are called to bring men and women to salvation, even those
who kill. The enemy wants us to stand on our pulpits and preach
hate but we will obey the Lord Jesus Christ, who said we must love
our enemy and pray even for those who persecute us. There is no
person born or yet to be born that can stop the gospel of Jesus
Christ.”

He called on the church to pray for those in power, saying
governance is a spiritual warfare.

“It is the duty of the church, as we are, that the church prays
for the government; that the church upholds the hands of those in
government, not by complaining but by supporting us with prayers,”
he said.

“Governance is a spiritual warfare, if anyone does not know
that, I know. I ask the church to pray for every one of us in the
position of authority in this land.”

On the edifice, Osinbajo said: “This is one of the proudest
moments for me as a Christian. This great edifice is for the
propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The vice president commended William Kumuyi, general
superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, for his uncommon
humility and commitment to the spread of the “undiluted gospel of
Jesus Christ”.

He urged the church to accept that there would be resistance,
saying “the devil is even more desperate and grievous as the end
draws nearer”.

Addressing the congregation, Kumuyi thanked the vice-president
for finding time to witness the official commissioning of the new
auditorium, which he described as historical the journey of the
church towards evangelizing the world.

Kumuyi, who drew the gathering down memory lane to the modest
beginning of the church, said Deeper Life has remained true to the
propagation of the message of love embodied in the life of Jesus
Christ on earth and promised that the new auditorium will be a
pilgrimage centre for spiritual development designed to emancipate
the society from the shackles of sin.

He called on members of the church to take advantage of the new
auditorium to continue to propagate the gospel, saying that only
the eternal truth in the message of Christ has capacity tolift the
country from the forcing plaguing its journey to unity and
prosperity.

Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has called on
Nigerians across religious divides to rise in unison against
growing cases of religious intolerance in
Nigeria.

Speaking while inaugurating the over 40,000 capacity new
headquarters building and church auditorium of the Depper Life
Bible Church, Gbagada, Lagos, Osinbajo said the federal government
is doing everything in its powers to protect the freedom of
worship.

He said religious intolerance remains a major challenge against
the socio-economic revival of Nigeria, disclosing that President
Muhammadu Buhari has given him the mandate to intervene in areas
that are facing such challenges with the aim of bringing enduring
peaceful co-existence.

He lamented the growing persecution of Christians in many parts
of the country, including places where they are being prevented
from erecting their places of worship and promised that the
government is doing all that are within the law to ensure the
rights of all Nigerians are preserved as enshrined in the
Constitution of Nigeria.

“Persecution of Christians is on the rise. The devil is hard at
work, stoking religious tension. I call on all Christians not to be
broken even as security are working hard to prevent such
occurrences and protect the lives and property of every citizen,”
he said.

“The devil’s biggest agenda is stoke up a religious conflict in
Nigeria, one that would make it impossible for anyone to preach the
gospel while the security agencies continue to work relentlessly to
wipe out the perpetrators of these evil acts.

“And to bring a permanent end to all of the killings going on in
the name of herdsmen, Boko Haram or any other name, we as a body of
Christ must not lose focus.

“We are called to bring men and women to salvation, even those
who kill. The enemy wants us to stand on our pulpits and preach
hate but we will obey the Lord Jesus Christ, who said we must love
our enemy and pray even for those who persecute us. There is no
person born or yet to be born that can stop the gospel of Jesus
Christ.”

He called on the church to pray for those in power, saying
governance is a spiritual warfare.

“It is the duty of the church, as we are, that the church prays
for the government; that the church upholds the hands of those in
government, not by complaining but by supporting us with prayers,”
he said.

“Governance is a spiritual warfare, if anyone does not know
that, I know. I ask the church to pray for every one of us in the
position of authority in this land.”

On the edifice, Osinbajo said: “This is one of the proudest
moments for me as a Christian. This great edifice is for the
propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The vice president commended William Kumuyi, general
superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, for his uncommon
humility and commitment to the spread of the “undiluted gospel of
Jesus Christ”.

He urged the church to accept that there would be resistance,
saying “the devil is even more desperate and grievous as the end
draws nearer”.

Addressing the congregation, Kumuyi thanked the vice-president
for finding time to witness the official commissioning of the new
auditorium, which he described as historical the journey of the
church towards evangelizing the world.

Kumuyi, who drew the gathering down memory lane to the modest
beginning of the church, said Deeper Life has remained true to the
propagation of the message of love embodied in the life of Jesus
Christ on earth and promised that the new auditorium will be a
pilgrimage centre for spiritual development designed to emancipate
the society from the shackles of sin.

He called on members of the church to take advantage of the new
auditorium to continue to propagate the gospel, saying that only
the eternal truth in the message of Christ has capacity tolift the
country from the forcing plaguing its journey to unity and
prosperity.