Stop Attacking Nigerian Religious Leaders, CCYF Urges Sowore and Others
James Paul Adama, President of the Concerned Christian Youth Foundation (CCYF), has condemned what he called targeted and inflammatory attacks on Nigeria’s religious leaders, urging the perpetrators to cease these actions immediately.
In a strong statement released on Tuesday, the CCYF specifically called on activist and journalist Omoyele Sowore, the founder of Sahara Reporters, to stop his alleged campaign of cyberstalking, public insults, and inflammatory reporting aimed at prominent figures in Nigeria’s Christian community.
The CCYF’s statement cited reports from numerous citizens and religious groups, which indicated that influential figures like Bishop Francis Wale Oke, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, and Pastor Jerry Eze had been unfairly targeted. The foundation warned that such actions not only undermine the moral authority of these religious leaders but could also pose a threat to national unity and potentially incite interfaith tensions in Nigeria’s already volatile socio-religious environment.
The group condemned Sowore’s comments, which reportedly labeled respected religious leaders as failures or uneducated, as disrespectful and harmful to public order.
Under Adama’s leadership, the CCYF called for federal government intervention, stressing that while free expression is important, it does not extend to actions that could destabilize the nation. The statement emphasized that while public figures are open to scrutiny, there is a crucial distinction between constructive criticism and outright vilification.
This ongoing dispute highlights a larger societal issue in Nigeria: reconciling modern demands for accountability with the traditional reverence for religious institutions. As debates continue about the role of the press in holding public figures accountable, the CCYF’s statement serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between protecting freedom of expression and preventing social unrest.
