The President of the Concerned Christian Youth Foundation (CCYF), James Paul Adama, has condemned what he described as targeted and inflammatory attacks on Nigeria’s revered religious leaders with a call to the perpetrators to stop forthwith.
In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, the CCYF particularly called on activist and journalist, Omoyele Sowore—the founder of Sahara Reporters—to immediately cease his reported campaign of cyberstalking, public insults, and inflammatory reporting directed at prominent figures in Nigeria’s Christian community.
According to the CCYF, reports from numerous citizens and religious groups indicated that influential figures such as Bishop Francis Wale Oke, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, and Pastor Jerry Eze, were being unfairly targeted. The organisation asserted that such actions not only undermine the moral authority of the religious leaders but also posed a risk to national unity and could potentially incite interfaith tensions in an already volatile socio-religious climate.
The group noted that Sowore’s comments, which reportedly label the respected religious figures as failures or uneducated, was not only disrespectful but could also lead to a breakdown of law and order.
The CCYF, under the leadership of Adama, urged the Federal Government to intervene, emphasising that free expression does not extend to actions that could destabilise the nation. The statement underscored that while public figures must be open to scrutiny, there exists a critical line between constructive critique and outright vilification.
This dispute highlights a broader societal challenge in Nigeria: reconciling the demands of modern accountability with the long-held reverence for religious institutions. As debates continue over the role of the press in holding public figures accountable, the CCYF’s actions serve as a reminder of the delicate balance between protecting freedom of expression and preventing social unrest.
