ILORIN — The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is facing an unprecedented crisis following reports of a formal split between its Northern and Southern wings. The fracture comes amid explosive allegations that funds donated by international organizations for the relief of persecuted Christians in Northern Nigeria were siphoned by the central leadership.
The “Northern Secession”
The crisis was brought to light in a widely circulated sermon by Rev. Isaac Omolehin, founder of Word Assembly Ministry in Ilorin. Omolehin revealed that Northern Christian leaders have made a decisive move to sever ties with the national body to form a separate entity capable of directly engaging with global partners.
According to Omolehin, the decision followed a “humiliating discovery” by Northern clerics. “Foreigners were calling pastors in the North to ask about the progress of relief projects for victims of banditry and insurgency, only for the pastors to realize the money had been released to the central body but never reached the intended victims,” he stated.
He further alleged that the Northern church has been “bleeding” while the central leadership in the South remained indifferent, focused more on administrative politics than the survival of Christians in conflict zones.
Allegations of Institutional Greed
Omolehin’s remarks painted a grim picture of the state of the Nigerian church, which he claims has replaced spiritual mission with “unbridled greed.” He asserted that the national body has failed to protect its own, leading to the Northern bloc’s decision to bypass the central hierarchy entirely.
“The church in the North has decided they will no longer be under a leadership that uses their suffering to solicit funds they never see,” Omolehin said. “Everything has been reduced to money.”
A Leadership Vacuum
The cleric also launched a scathing critique of Nigeria’s most prominent religious figures, including Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Bishop David Oyedepo, and Pastor William Kumuyi. He argued that while these men are powerful denominational heads, Nigeria currently lacks a “true father of faith” who can unite the body of Christ.
He pointed to the “competition over private jets” and denominational rivalries as evidence that the top leadership is out of touch with the reality of Christians being slaughtered in the Middle Belt and the Northwest.
CAN and PFN Response
The national leadership of CAN has yet to issue a formal rebuttal to the specific claims of a regional split. However, sources within the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), which has had previous friction with Omolehin over his preaching engagements abroad, have urged for caution and “verifiable proof” before such claims are accepted as fact.
This development marks a significant low point for religious unity in Nigeria, occurring at a time when Christians in states like Plateau, Benue, and Sokoto are already protesting the perceived failure of both the government and the church to secure their ancestral lands.
