The Senior Pastor of Word of Power Gospel Church International, Apostle Festus Alilu, has publicly apologized to Pastor Korede Komaiya of The Master’s International Church, Warri, Delta State.
This follows a recent defamatory comment made by Apostle Alilu against Pastor Komaiya via a video on his social media page, a move that sparked reactions from various quarters.
Consequently, some supporters of Pastor Komaiya reported the case to the police, leading to Apostle Alilu’s arrest and detention.
However, in a formal apology letter dated March 23, 2025, Apostle Alilu stated that he had removed the controversial video from his Facebook page and had also uploaded a new video apologizing for his actions.
He admitted that his comments were inappropriate and had negatively affected Pastor Komaiya’s reputation.
He wrote, “I write to express my sincere and unreserved apologies for a video I posted on my Facebook page on the 8th day of March 2025, where I criticized your style of preaching.
“I regret all the offensive content of the video and the negative effects on your reputation, congregation, and the entire body of Christ.
“I have removed the video from my Facebook page, and I have also posted an apology video on the same platform.
“I humbly request your forgiveness and understanding on this matter so we can put it behind us and focus on our shared commitment to spreading the Gospel.”
Reacting to the apology, the Concerned Christian Youth Forum described the move as a welcome development.
The group, in a statement by its convener, Adama James Paul, applauded the reconciliation and urged others to follow suit.
“We believe that the Christian faith and its leaders should be respected and protected against defamation and cyberbullying.
“Do NOT defame or tarnish the reputation of anyone while criticizing their actions. Remember, you are only sharing your perception or opinion, and this must be done within the confines of the law.
“A criminal offense isn’t just against the victim but against the entire state. So do not come up with lame excuses that the victim is a Christian or Pastor and ought to have forgiven.”
