Pastor says Nigerians should fight for themselves

Founder of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has warned the Federal Government that Nigerians have the right to be able to defend themselves if security agencies cannot secure their lives and properties.

According to a report by TheCable, the clergyman said the government has been unable to curb the recent menace of herdsmen across the country and is making the situation worse by ordering citizens to surrender their illegal firearms.

He said that the surrender order should also affect herdsmen who have been at the center of several attacks in 2018 that has led to the death of at least 200 victims across the country, especially in Benue and Taraba.

He said, "This is why I said this government is compromised completely. If you are making such a rule, let it be a statute of general application, let it apply to all. Nigerians to wake up, shine their eyes and put their own destinies into their hands. They should fight for themselves. There are several ways to do it.

"Civil unrest is one of them, protest is another. We (Nigerians) can shut this government down. We have the numbers and we will show them that we have done it before and we will do it again."

The cleric also ripped into President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, criticising the Federal Government for mismanaging fuel subsidy.

He said, "Show me in the world, any civilised society or any nation that is developed where government does business. Government job is to create enabling environment for business to thrive and flourish. Government job is to set policy.

"In Nigeria, the sleaze they get from it (subsidy) is why they are not letting go. There is only one word for either this government or any government, Buhari inclusive: let him that stole steal no more."

Pastor Bakare revealed to his congregation on January 1, 2018, that God wants him to run for president despite his plan to quit politics for good. However, he did not reveal whether he'll run in next year's election, or in the future.