Nigerian human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has accused religious leaders, particularly general overseers and high-profile pastors, of deceiving their followers. He claimed that while these leaders secretly seek the best medical care worldwide, they mislead people with fake miracles and prophecies.
Sowore made these remarks in an exclusive interview on the KaaTruths programme, where he criticized the way religious leaders handle health and social issues. He argued that many pastors undergo expensive medical procedures, including surgeries and cosmetic enhancements, yet convince their followers that supernatural healing is the solution to their problems.
They Don’t Play With Their Health
According to Sowore, these religious leaders prioritize their own well-being while discouraging their followers from seeking medical treatment.
He said, “There is none of these GOs, high-level evangelists, or pastors who mess with their health.
“They don’t play with their health. They use some of the best medical doctors all over the world to heal themselves.”
He further alleged that some of these leaders secretly undergo advanced treatments such as cell replacement therapy, plastic surgery, and even hair transplants, yet continue to promote supernatural healing.
He said, “They do all kinds of plastic surgery. Why do they deceive the masses that they can carry out what they know is scientifically impossible?”
The Case of TB Joshua
Sowore cited the late TB Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), as an example of a religious leader who sought medical treatment abroad but kept it a secret.
Sowore revealed, “TB Joshua, when he had a stroke, didn’t even go to a Christian country. He went to Turkey. He spent time in Turkey treating his stroke. He was flown there by his private jet.
“But many people never heard that TB Joshua was treated in Turkey when he had a stroke. Part of what I heard killed him is that he was hiding his sickness, and when he was supposed to go for the treatment, he didn’t want the public to know that he had a stroke. It was never made public.”
He also questioned why self-proclaimed miracle workers did not intervene in Joshua’s case.
Sowore emphasized, “If TB Joshua had a stroke and this our brother in Port Harcourt (Prophet Umueke Miracle of Dynamic Flame of Fire and Miracle Ministries) has the ability to cure stroke, TB Joshua could have been one of the people he could have used.
“He shouldn’t have allowed a brother-man of God to die of stroke. That is unfair. TB Joshua died of stroke and we have a stroke magician in Port Harcourt. He could have just flown to Lagos, placed his hand on TB Joshua, and we would have TB Joshua with us today.”
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We Need Functional Hospitals, Not Olive Oil Prayers
Sowore criticized the reliance on religious solutions for health problems, arguing that Nigeria needs a strong healthcare system rather than miracle-based healing.
Sowore said, “I don’t want Nigerians who have been praying to cure headaches or who believe that olive oil made in Palestine or Italy can make you see when you know you can’t.
“I want a country where we have hospitals that function such that even some of the pastors who can’t see well can get someone who knows how to treat their eyes very well and get the best treatment so that they won’t need to hide when they are undergoing treatment.”
Religion and Nigeria’s Underdevelopment
Sowore also blamed excessive religious influence for Nigeria’s underdevelopment. He argued that faith has been used as a distraction, preventing Nigerians from demanding accountability from their leaders.
“If the number of people who pray for light every day decide to go to the NEPA office one day, light can be restored for 10 years,” he said.
He accused corrupt officials of deliberately sabotaging the power sector for their personal gain, while citizens continue to pray instead of demanding action.
“The people who are managing NEPA started destroying the electrical system or grid for their own personal greed. If we had taken them on 30 years ago, we would not be praying for light now,” he added.
He also noted that in developed countries, religion is losing its influence, and people are focusing more on practical solutions to their problems.
He said, “In other parts of the world, including where religion originated from, they don’t care about so many things anymore.
“In fact, it has been predicted that those who invented religion and transferred it to us may not practise it in the next 50 years. They are abandoning what they sent to you because they knew what they did.”
Religion is Being Used to Exploit the Poor
Sowore claimed that there is a strong connection between religious influence and economic hardship, arguing that religious institutions exploit vulnerable people.
Sowore clarified, “What has happened in Africa is that there is a correlation between religion and poverty.
“The poorer you are, the more you are likely to be more religious and the more you are likely to be ripped off by these religious practitioners who are selling snake oil.”
However, he clarified that he is not against religion itself but against its misuse by dishonest leaders.
He said, “It is not just Christianity, it is religion as a whole. It is not limited to Christians or Muslims alone.
“And I’m not condemning religion, I’m talking about the one that is obviously theatrical and deceptive and dishonest and is aimed at scamming the same vulnerable people that ought to be helped in the society.”