David Oyedepo, the bishop and leader of Living Faith Church Worldwide, on Saturday, told his audience that he would not take the COVID-19 vaccine because he is not a guinea pig.

Mr Oyedepo made the statement during the church’s covenant hour of prayer, a program Peoples Gazette learnt is streamed live and watched by millions of people globally.

“I have never seen a generation where you force people to take vaccines. It is inhuman; it is immoral sir,” Mr Oyedepo said. “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 injections.”

Mr Oyedepo also insinuated that the answer to COVID-19 challenges is in his church.

“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 influential church leader said.

He said 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.”

However, Mr Oyedepo said he has no apology to render for his controversial statement.

He declared: “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.”

Mr Oyedepo’s flammable take on COVID-19 represents strongly held sentiment among some Pentecostals and religious leaders who have been propounding many conspiracy theories about the dreaded contagion.

In March, the founder of Believers Loveworld aka Christ Embassy, Chris Oyakhilome, condemned Nigerians taking the COVID-19 vaccine. He also condemned the government for asking pastors to convince members to take the vaccine.

The British government slammed a fine of £125,000 on Mr Oyakhilome’s Loveworld Television Network over harmful comments made in January on COVID-19.