Bishop Oyedepo says that the Nigerian government must approach him for a long-lasting solution to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A NIGERIAN preacher has claimed that the Covid-19 vaccine in circulation is “a deadly thing” and that he has the cure for the coronavirus.
According to Nigerian online news outlet Platinum Post, the general overseer of the Living Faith Church International (Winners Chapel) Bishop David Oyedepo made the outlandish claims in a sermon on Sunday.
Oyedepo said that the Nigerian government must approach him for a long-lasting solution to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“They should come to me to find out how to deal with Covid-19 at no cost,” Punch Nigeria quoted him as saying.
Africa, which has some of the lowest Covid-19 case numbers in the world, continues to stamp out fake news about vaccines, with governments taking an active role in debunking myths and encouraging citizens to get the jab.
There has been a remarkable spike in vaccine hesitancy across the continent, especially after reports of blood clotting emerged.
Earlier this year, Oyedepo said the devil is using the Covid -19 pandemic to attack the church of Christ, according to reports.
According to Punch Nigeria, he said vaccinators went to churches to get people vaccinated, adding that such was an “insult” and insisting that every church is an “anti-Covid-19 zone”.
According to local media, the auditorium was filled to capacity, with congregants failing to wear masks or follow any Covid-19 protocols.
This is not the first time African pastors have taken to the pulpit to spread Covid-19 conspiracy theories and disinformation.
Last year, a Cameroonian pastor who had claimed that he could “cure” Covid-19 died from the virus just a week after he was diagnosed.
Media reports reveal that the pastor had been laying hands on the sick and claiming that he was able to cure Covid-19.
In May last year, British media regulator Ofcom imposed sanctions against a channel founded by Nigerian megachurch preacher Chris Oyakhilome for airing “unsubstantiated claims” linking 5G to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Sunday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 37 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,419, reported Pulse Nigeria.
