The NATIONAL PRAYER ALTAR
MARATHON PRAYERS
Monday 10th – Sunday 16th Nov. 2025
GENOCIDE COUNTER-NARRATIVES:
WHEN SHEPHERDS BECOME PREDATORS
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep (John 10:11-13).
As a Christian reading this, we invite you to reason with us on some crucial issues affecting our common faith. Undeniably, Christianity in Nigeria is facing an existential threat substantiated by the countless mass graves of Christians and abandoned Christian places of worships, as well as hundreds of sacked Christian villages. Under such circumstances, is it too much to expect compassion, loyalty, and empathy from Christian leaders towards their own brethren, even if they did it merely as an act of faithfulness to Christ? It says in 1 Cor. 4:2: "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." With the disturbing genocide counternarratives emanating from some Christian leaders, can we truly describe such individuals as “faithful” brethren or “loyal stewards” of Christ?
For the third week now, we have been compelled to engage this matter of genocide against Christians in Nigeria and the sad role of some Church leaders. When those who should protect Christians team up with those determined to destroy them, Christians should realize that their enemy is not primarily the Muslim jihadists but also their own Christian leaders. Under such circumstances, what should Christians do? Continue to pray that God would have mercy on them and give them more wisdom? or set in motion a process to replace the unfaithful stewards?
While the Church was still reeling with shock from what many considered the doublespeak of CAN on this matter, another set of Christian leaders were out last week affirming the counter-narrative that there has been no genocide against Christians in Nigeria. From 2016, a set of leaders have appeared in the Church, who have left careful observers in no doubt that they are more pro-Islam than they are pro-Christ. By their choices and actions, these Christian leaders have indicated that Islam is their preferred religion while Christianity is a commodity for sale. Actions, some say, speak louder than words. The one thing that they are yet to do is openly proclaim themselves as employees of the Sultan of Sokoto. For the benefit of those who think that this cannot be true, some examples shall be cited:
1. Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN) and the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) collaborated in 2018 to organize a Christian political consensus, prelude to the 2019 elections. Over 50 Christians were contesting for the position of the President. CSMN and NCEF advocated for a consensus Christian candidate to contest against Buhari and Atiku. That process was truncated by CAN officials. They organized a parallel “interview” of Presidential candidates and brought two Muslim candidates to the National Christian Centre. After Buhari was declared the “winner” of the election by INEC, those CAN officials were amongst the first group to visit Aso Villa to publicly congratulate their candidate.
2. In the runup to the 2023 elections, the officials of CAN publicly welcomed Tinubu, Shettima, and Atiku at the National Christian Centre. The pictures of the meetings are available. So far, evidence is yet to be seen of such elaborate reception accorded any of the eleven Christians who contested the 2023 presidential elections. That is not to say that pictorial evidence of meetings with Christian presidential candidates do not exist. We are simply saying that we have not seen any.
3. In flagrant violation of 2 Cor. 6:14-16, and 1 Cor. 10:20-22, the President of CAN joined Muslims to break the Ramadan fast in March 2025.
4. The President of a notable Church group paid for an advertorial to congratulate President Tinubu after the controversial 2023 election. That Church leader wrote that Tinubu, of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, “fought a good fight and the Almighty God gave him the victory.” Why would anyone attribute the compromise of the judiciary and INEC to the Almighty God?
5. While Nigeria Christians and the global community insist that there is ongoing genocide against Christians in the country, some prominent Church leaders have joined the Muslims to deny it.
In January 2014, Tinubu tweeted, "The slaughtering of Christian worshippers is strongly condemnable. It calls to question the competence of Jonathan to protect Nigerians.” It should be noted that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not say, “the slaughtering of Christian and Muslim worshippers”, neither did he say, “the slaughtering of Nigerians.” He was specific that it was “Christian worshippers” that were being slaughtered. In 2025, the same man has said, “there is no persecution of Christians in Nigeria. It is a lie from the pit of hell.” Does President Tinubu want us to believe that he was the liar from the pit of hell in 2014, and it was his lie at that time that is still circulating?
While it is understandable that rulers of the world should work against the Church, it is a tragic when Christian leaders pitch their tents with Gentiles against the truth. What is at stake for these Christian leaders? Will President Tinubu will give them eternal life? Or what is their hope as Christians?
President Tinubu can be excused for his convoluting position due to his craft as a politician, but what excuse can one give for Christian leaders engaging in such craft? In the past few days, some notable Christian leaders have come out to support the position that there is no genocide against Christians in Nigeria. They claim there is general insecurity that affects all the citizens.
Our concern in raising this matter again, as a prayer call, is twofold:
1. What do some of our Christian leaders take Christianity to be?
2. How should the Church respond under these circumstances?
To address the first concern, the purpose of Christianity has been perverted in this generation. Christ built His Church to give man eternal life. The Scriptures make it clear that the hope of the Christian is eternal life, not an overflowing bank account.
▫️1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
▫️John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
▫️John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
It is unfortunate but true that many of our Church leaders have lost the vision of eternal life. For many Christian leaders, Christianity is about how much money one makes, irrespective of the values and principles compromised. This perverted form of Christianity has been passed down to church members, resulting in a Christianity that neither edifies the saints nor transforms the country.
The second concern is, how the Church should respond to this leadership crisis. Christians are left with no other choice but to reorganize its leadership cadre. The current set of Christian leaders who have been unabashedly compromised, should be removed. Christians must not shy away from the reality that a reorganization must take place in the Church, else something worse might come to Christians.
The intervention of USA is meant to give the Nigeria Church a breathing space to reorganize and effectively engage the Islamist agenda. Christians should bear in mind that President Trump of America will be in office only for three more years. No one knows who will take over after him. Already, Americans are titling back towards support for Muslims. A few days ago, a Muslim was elected as Mayor of New York. If the pro-Obama group should replace President Trump, the jihadists will return with greater vengeance than whatever is on ground now. Therefore, the Nigeria Church must utilize this intervention of President Trump to press home its advantage. Key structures must be put in place locally and internationally to prevent a reoccurrence of the religious insurgency. Unfortunately, what is expedient will not be done by the current set of CAN and PFN officials. There is too much commercial-induced compromise in the current set of Christian leaders. The only solution is to replace them. If Christians cannot take that decision, one cannot predict what will happen after President Trump. Three years is a short time in the life of a country.
President Tinubu, for political reasons, is not interested in fighting insurgency. A few days ago, he replaced the Military Service Chiefs after the threat of a coup. However, he did not replace the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of State for Defence. The three of them are Fulani. Under Tinubu, the security architecture of Nigeria is solidly in the hands of the Fulani.
The Islamists will engage USA for the next three years while bidding their time. With the support of Arab Petro-dollar, Muslim lobby in the USA will intensify to get a president that will be sympathetic to global jihadists, like Obama and Biden were. If they succeed, the Nigeria Church will be one of the victims.
This is the time for Nigeria Christians to be proactive. Their problem is a Church led by predators. Some of the current shepherds of the Nigeria Church are predators. If they are permitted to remain in office, they will consume the Christians because of their insatiable greed. The Church of Christ needs good shepherds, but it is currently saddled with hirelings.
May God have mercy upon defenseless Christians in Nigeria.
PRAYER POINTS
1. John 10:12-13
Pray that God will deliver the Nigeria Church from the hirelings in the sanctuary.
2. John 2:15-17
Pray that the zeal of the Lord shall be poured upon Nigeria Christians to drive out all those who merchandise in the sanctuary.
3. John 10:11
Pray that God will raise a new team of good shepherds to serve His Church.
4. Is. 45:1-3
Pray for God’s protection over President Trump and all those who stand with the Nigeria Church in this season to put an end to the genocide against Christians in the country.
5. Is. 29:6-8
Pray for God’s judgment upon all the nations using religious insurgency to devastate Nigeria and attack the Christians.
6. Hag. 1:14
Pray that God will stir up the spirits of influential Christians in Nigeria to demand a reorganization of Christian leadership to respond effectively to the genocide against Christians.
7. Ps. 85:4-7
Pray for Nigeria, that the country shall receive mercy and be delivered from the divine indignation that gives the country wicked rulers.
