An erstwhile President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Rev Felix Omobude, said that despite the deliberate targeting of Christians by terrorist groups for killings and abductions, they would not advise Christians to take up arms against criminals.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on Sunday, Omobude said there is nothing wrong with churches and Christians organising protection through appropriate channels during services and activities.
He was speaking on pressing national issues, stressing that there is nothing wrong with the Nigerian government seeking external assistance to combat terrorism.
He added that if anyone had prophesied about 15 years ago that the country would be in this situation, people would not have believed it.
“It will be irresponsible for a leader at certain levels, for example, to call for arms, to call for violence. Violence will give birth to violence, we don’t have another nation. So our restraint is because we believe that a united Nigeria will be the best for us and I hope that those in leadership don’t take our restraint for weakness.
“The church under the situation cannot call for arms unless you want to scatter things. We will continue to pray, we continue to advocate. We will continue to also educate our people appropriately,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria has already been taken over by foreigners and the argument that external forces coming in would impinge on the country’s sovereignty “does not hold water.”