#EndSARS: David Oyedepo endorses protests, condemns shootings

The General Overseer of Living Faith Ministries aka Winners Chapel International, David Oyedepo, has endorsed the ongoing #EndSARS protests in the country against the excesses of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Before its disbandment, SARS, a police unit, was known for its human rights abuses and extra-judicial killings.

Mr Oyedepo, during a sermon video on Sunday morning circulated online, stated that the Nigerian youth have the right to express their displeasure on the current state of affairs in the country.

He said he had been silent on the issue so far because he warned Nigerians in 2015.

“Every man has a right, legitimately so, to express their displeasure and pains

“I kept quiet for a while because in 2015 I warned this nation, vehemently, consistently, because I saw the dangers ahead and you can tell. The most gruesome season in the history of the nation is the last 5 years where lives have no value, wanton killings here and there.”

“Now they have faced the youth and because they don’t know who is next, they have the right to say ‘enough is enough’. Any system that has no value for human lives is irrelevant. If they were killed when they were youths, would they be where they are today?”.

“It would be a sacrilege to shoot the protesters who are not looting, who are not ravaging”.

Nigerians across the globe have taken to streets and online since last week to protest against police brutality, killings, extortion and harassment by the rogue Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) of the police force.

Nigerian influential Christian clerics like Enoch Adeboye, Sam Adeyemi, Tunde Bakare, Johnson Suleiman, have issued public statements on the #EndSARS movement.

Despite the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) last Sunday and the formation of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) to replace it, protesters have continued to make their demands known to the Nigerian government.