Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, has told members of his congregation to give kidnappers his phone number if they are abducted, assuring that such encounters would lead to their release.
The cleric remarked during a sermon that has since gone viral, stating that his past interventions in kidnap cases demonstrate what he described as spiritual authority over such situations.
According to him, congregants also possess the same capacity if they come to understand it.
“If anybody picks you, give them my number. If he is not cut down, then I’m not sent. You carry the same force if you discover it,” he said.
Oyedepo cited the case of a church pastor who was abducted and later freed after he spoke directly with the kidnappers during a ransom call.
He said he warned the abductors to release the pastor within 24 hours or face death, adding that the situation changed immediately and the victim was released shortly after.
“One time, one of our pastors was kidnapped. When they called, I said, ‘Give me the phone,’ and I told them, ‘In 24 hours, if you don’t release him, you are dead,’” he recounted.
The bishop also referenced another incident involving a female church member, claiming she regained her freedom after declaring to her captors that she would be released by a specific time.
He said the kidnappers allegedly turned on themselves shortly after her declaration, leading to her release.
The comments have drawn widespread attention online, with many reacting to the cleric’s assertions about spiritual intervention in kidnapping incidents.
