The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Kaduna State Chapter, has expressed sadness over the gruesome murder of Pastor Jeremiah Kehinde Omolewa, a pastor of Living Faith Church, Kaduna by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
Chairman of the Kaduna state chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab had on Tuesday bemoaned the increasing spate of killings and kidnappings of members of the clergy in the state, wondering why killings and kidnappings have become so rampant in the state with Christians and clergy men being the worst hit.
Pastor Jeremiah Kehinde Omolewa, was murdered in cold blood by unknown gunmen along Kaduna-Abuja expressway on Sunday.
Reacting in a statement issued by its Kaduna state chairman, Apostle Emmanuel Egoh Bako, PFN said, “We are deeply saddened by the news of the murder of Pastor Jeremiah Kehinde Omolewa of the Living Faith Church, Romi New Extension and the abduction of his wife along the notorious Kaduna-Abuja Road. This is not an isolated case but part of the general and daily news which now bedevil our nation.”
PFN enjoined the government to match words with actions, stressing that the Christian body wants the government both at the federal and state levels to be proactive in handling the deteriorating cases of insecurity in Kaduna state and Nigeria as a whole.
It explained, “We do not subscribe to the lame and habituated defense that the government and security agencies have been overwhelmed by the challenges and or that they are on top of the situation. This unfortunately is not always the case seen with the swiftness in handling petty political issues.
“As citizens, we demand that the government brace up to its primary statutory responsibility of guaranteeing the safety of our lives and property of the citizenry.”
The umbrella body of Pentecostal ministries further asserted, “it is time to put aside party politics and sentiments and take national interest above all-personal, sectional and group interest.
“We beckon on the conscience of stakeholders and the international community to wake up from this current lethargy.”
PFN noted, “Though the cruelty of the gunmen and the laxity on the part of the government is so pathetic and very painful, but we take consolation in the fact that our brother and fellow minister has gone home to be with the Lord.
“We extend our condolence to the immediate family of the pastor and the entire Living Faith Church aka Winners Chapel family.”
