African Pentecostal Leaders Pray for Peace of Muslims- Christians

President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Bishop Mike Okonwkwo said at the weekend that Christian leaders have commenced fervent prayers and fasting to ask for peace from God.

The campaign is started due to the recent killings across the continent, especially concerning about the burnt down of four churches and a hotel in Northern Nigerian town of Dutse happened on last Thursday.

A magistrate denied bail to a Muslim youth charged with setting another church on fire and it triggered the revenge.

"The miscreants were angered by the court ruling, they went around the town and burnt down four churches and one hotel," a senior officer from Dutse said.

Speaking at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos on the state of the nation Bishop Okonkwo said “we, church leaders, have resolved to take up the challenge squarely because we have a responsibility to ensure lasting peace in the country."

More than 5,000 people have been killed in religious violence in northern Nigeria in the past four years since the introduction of strict Islamic sharia penal code in 12 states.

Bishop Okonkwo also mentioned about serious corruption problem among religious leaders who joined the democratic forces to enthrone democracy in the country. People complained that these leaders are “stealing from the national coffers while there is a lot of hunger in the general public."

He also pointed out that many church leaders are lacking discipleship and deep knowledge of the scripture.

“We are determined to ensure dignity within the Pentecostal family,"he confessed. However, he said that it would be difficult to sanction any cleric who does not belong to the PFN.

The Bishop calls for the Journalist’s assistance in investigation of unqualified religious leaders because it was the duty of every patriotic citizen to sanitize the country.