The Concerned Christian Youth Forum has pledged to mediate in the case of Apostle Festus Alilu’s arrest.
Apostle Alilu, the senior pastor of Word of Power Gospel Church International in Ughelli, Delta State, was taken into police custody on Thursday following allegations of defamation against Pastor Korede Komaiya of The Master’s Place International Church.
His arrest followed a viral video in which he accused Pastor Komaiya of misleading church members with fabricated prosperity teachings.
Reacting, the group in a statement by its convener, Adama Paul James, clarified that Pastor Komaiya did not initiate the arrest, stating that it was carried out by some of his followers.
The forum condemned the verbal attack on Pastor Komaiya and emphasized the need to uphold dignity and respect for Christian leaders while urging an amicable resolution to the matter.
Adama said, “The attention of the Concerned Christian Youth Forum has been drawn to the arrest of one Apostle Festus Alilu over an alleged defamatory video he made against Pastor Korede Komaiya.
“We have watched the said video with due circumspection on social media and the Concerned Christian Youth Forum hereby condemn in totality the verbal attack of Apostle Festus Alilu on the person of Pastor Korede Komaiya.
“We consider this attack unprovoked and unwarranted, and we consequently wish to extend our sincere apologies to Pastor Komaiya on behalf of our community.
Read Also: Christian Youth Forum calls for peace zmid Apostle Alilu’s arrest over defamatory video
“Upon further inquiries, we discovered that the arrest of Apostle Alilu was not initiated by Pastor Komaiya himself but by some of his followers. This highlights the importance of considering and verifying facts before drawing conclusions or making accusations.
“The Concerned Christian Youth Forum is stepping in with the hope of finding an amicable resolution to this matter.
“We would like to use this opportunity to make it clear that attacks on the Christian Faith and its Leaders will no longer be tolerated. We are ready to take all necessary steps to vigorously defend Christianity and its leaders in Nigeria.
“We encourage everyone to respect the Christian Faith and avoid making derogatory comments or attacks on any religion. Such unruly behaviour has no place in our society and must be stopped forthwith.
“The Concerned Christian Youth Forum is committed to ensuring that the Christian faith and its leaders are treated with utmost dignity and respect they deserve.”
