Nigeria Churches Deny Obasanjo Oil Wells Claim

Three of Nigeria's largest churches have rejected claims that former president Olusegun Obasanjo allocated oil wells to their leaders during his time in office. The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Living Faith Church Worldwide and the Deeper Christian Life Ministry all dismissed the allegation, which was made by the founder and president of the Ministers' Prayer Network, Reverend Mosy Madugba, in a sermon circulating on social media.
Madugba named the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, and the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi. He claimed Obasanjo gave oil wells to prominent Lagos pastors during his presidency, suggesting the alleged allocations explained the wealth and institutions, including universities and hospitals, linked to the clerics.
The churches pushed back firmly. A senior media aide to Pastor Kumuyi, speaking anonymously to Sunday PUNCH, called the allegation ridiculous and said the cleric had no interest in oil exploration. Patrick Nkamiang, the director of media at Living Faith Church Worldwide, argued that oil wells were not the personal property of a president to distribute, noting that they are national resources governed by the laws of Nigeria. An official in the Redeemed Christian Church of God's media unit said the church would not respond in substance until Madugba provided evidence to support his claims.
No documentary evidence establishing that Obasanjo allocated oil wells to the three pastors was presented in the circulating sermon. Efforts to reach Obasanjo through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, were unsuccessful, while an official at Madugba's church said it would respond later. The claim has stirred wide debate online, with many Nigerians demanding proof. Read the original reporting on Chronicle.ng.