A commander of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has warned churchgoers against openly sharing details of their achievements and personal affairs during church services, particularly evening services held in churches located on the outskirts of towns.
Speaking on TV Platinum during an IRT briefing on Thursday, October 8, 2026, the commander cautioned worshippers against assuming that everyone in church has good intentions.
He said, “After closing from evening service, such act that they plan will be implemented. you can’t go to a church located on the outskirts, and you go to evening prayer, and close in the evening, coming down to your home, after making testimony of what you have achieved in life.”
He questioned the wisdom of openly revealing such information before a gathering of people whose intentions may not be known.
“It doesn’t conform with common sense and rationality in the midst of gathering of people watching you, thinking that they are all men of God. No. Everybody has his own motive of going to the church,” he said.
The IRT commander urged security institutions and churches to pay greater attention to the safety of worshippers, especially when services extend into the night.
“I believe the role of security institution must equally think of the security of their member and must advise them adequately,” he said.
He further advised that churches holding evening services should have proper security arrangements, including monitoring the routes leading to and from the church.
“If [you] must hold evening services, and that has to be guided with a lot of security observation of the routes in and out, exits of those churches in and out,” he said.
“You can’t just [have] members come into night, evening prayers, and you say a lot of things that ought not to be said, and you expect these men of underworld will not plan anything against you,” the commander concluded.
