God did not tell me how or when he’ll rescue Oyo schoolchildren; promised to talk to me later: Pastor Adeboye

“I was compelled to cry unto God because we have been fasting and praying for a particular group of school children who were captured,” said the RCCG spiritual leader.

Ahmed Oluwasanjo • June 30, 2026

Enoch Adeboye

Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, said God spoke to him about what will happen to sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria and that the release of abducted Oyo schoolchildren will “be dramatic”.

Mr Adeboye made this statement in a video of his sermon at the US-Nigeria Faith Heroes Award Gala organised by the Save Nigeria Group in Washington, D.C., on June 23.

The RCCG overseer said public criticisms that he kept quiet over the abduction of 46 Oyo schoolchildren and staffers made him to approach God personally.

“I was compelled to cry unto God because we have been fasting and praying for a particular group of school children who were captured. The kidnappers felt that the government was not reacting fast enough to give them the money they asked for, and they slaughtered their teacher and showed the video to the rest of the world,” Mr Adeboye said.

The cleric added, “Some people then began to speak, challenging those of us who said we had been praying. They said, ‘You are fasting, you are praying, where is your God?’ So I went to the Lord in prayer, in deep agony. I said, ‘Father, you have heard them. They said, ‘Where is our God?’ And then God spoke to me. He told me that the release of the children is going to be dramatic.”

However, Mr Adeboye said God “did not tell me the time or the details”, but “told me to leave that aspect in his hands and said he would talk to me about what would happen after this particular incident”.

Speaking further, Mr Adeboye said God told him what would happen to the sponsors of kidnappings and terrorism ravaging Nigeria.

“Some of the things he (God) said, he mentioned what would happen to those who have been sponsoring terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria. He also spoke about several other things. I had no idea what was going to happen here,” Mr Adeboye said.

Mr Adeboye has been criticised for not doing enough to see to the release of the abducted Oriire schoolchildren and staffers.

However, the RCCG said that “Pastor Adeboye and RCCG are not responsible for the current challenges facing the nation”.

“RCCG is not a political party. Pastor Adeboye does not hold political office and was not elected into government,” the church’s statement added.

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