'I won’t take COVID-19 vaccine, I’m not a guinea pig' – Top Nigerian pastor

A popular Nigerian cleric has stated unequivocally that he will not take a COVID-19 jab because he was not going to allow himself to be used as a guine pig.

David Oyedepo, the Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners’ Chapel, made the pronouncement on April 17 during the church’s Covenant Hour of Prayer programme.

What Oyedepo said about vaccines

“I have never seen a generation where you force people to take vaccines. It is inhuman; it is immoral sir. I’m not a lawyer but I don’t think it is legal. You can’t come to my house and want to give me injection.

“On what? Did I invite you? They are confused. But the church has the answer. Did you see any outbreak of virus here? How will it enter the gate? Will it come through the air? How? One woman just got down after that injection in Kaduna. What kind of life? Are human beings now turned to guinea pigs?

“The world is confused but the church is lighted. So the triumph of the church will humble the pride of the world. They don’t know what to do sir. In the last days, the church will be reigning in power and glory. That is God’s agenda.

“No apologies. There is a big, big bird in our land, saying ‘don’t take it, they are deceivers’. Let me see someone who will come and inject me. By who? Are you going to tie my hands? How? Did I invite you? I know you are quiet, you will hear more of it. My job is to expose the devil and tell his agents, ‘get off, we are not guinea pigs’.”

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation started a national vaccination against Coronavirus last month with Oxford AstraZeneca jabs donated by the WHO-led COVAX facility.

According to the lead agency for the exercise, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, 1,081,548 doses out of the over 3.4 million doses Nigeria received have so far been administered across the country as of April 17.

Over 160,000 Covid infections and more than 2,000 associated deaths have been recorded in the country as of April 17, according to statistics by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.