A Youtube video showing the
general overseer of the Living
Faith Church (aka Winners Chapel ), David Oyedepo, smack an unyielding female
church member during a
deliverance service has sparked
social media outrage in Nigeria
and around the world. The video became an internet
sensation on Saturday after it
was posted on Youtube, drawing widespread
condemnation of the pastor’s action, which many see
as gender or child abuse. It has the pastor, affectionately called “Papa” by
members of his church, slapping a lady kneeling
before him. Apparent from the video, the lady
refused to admit she was a witch after several prods
by the pastor. The lady rather insisted she was a “witch for
Jesus” a claim that apparently angered the pastor. Mr Oyedepo then hit her hard on the left cheek,
yelling, “Do you know who you are talking to?” The congregation cheered but the courageous lady
insisted she wasn’t a witch. The disappointed pastor
dismissed the lady, saying she had no place in
heaven. Brutal methods of exorcising children and women
are a common place with among Christian preachers
and traditional healers in Nigeria. Most times, the victims are intimidated into admitting
membership of evil cults before they are subjected to
different forms of cruel exorcisms. The recent case – in Akwa Ibom State - where
children were branded witches and then abused,
sometimes killed – received global condemnation
leading the government to ban such practices. Many Nigerians who have seen the video took on to
their social media communities to condemn the pastor’s
action while hailing the lady for maintaining her
stance in the face of such brutality. The condemnation, commentators say, is not just for
the pastor’s spiritual tactics but also a denunciation
of violence against women. Human rights activists have labelled the pastor’s
action “religious bullying,” “violence against
women” and “child abuse.” “That was assault! Nothing less,” Irina Aduke-Ife
Patrick said. “…another glaring case of violence
against women and child abuse.” “I really need to find the girl in the Oyedepo child
abuse video,” Modupe Ariyo, a Nigerian women and
child rights activist said. “Aside supporting her, I
want to commend her for standing up to the religious
bullying.” “Should the anointed enjoy the liberty to violently
touch the non-anointed in the name of superstition?”
Pius Adesanmi, a newspaper columnist asked. “This catch-a-witch nonsense is getting out of
hand,” he added. “We really need to do something
about these prosperity pastors in Nigeria. Maybe
make enough noise and draw the attention of local
and international human rights groups to Pastor
Oyedepo’s action? If he sells one of his private jets fighting a big backlash, he will think twice
before slapping innocent little girls. Nonsense!” Mr Oyedepo could not be reached for comments, as
calls to a telephone number listed on his website
were unanswered. The clergyman is however not new to controversies.
He is one of Nigeria’s richest pastors and was
heavily criticised after he bought a N4.4 billion
private jet in March this year. In July, he reportedly ordered D’Banj, Nigeria’s
popular afro-pop musician, to pull off all the
elaborate jewelry dangling from his neck in the
middle of a performance at a youth program in
Covenant University, where the pastor was also a
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