General Overseer of Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, says that speaking ill of prophets ordained by God and their activities is dangerous, warning that it attracts punishment of leprosy.

“Beware of speaking hurt against a prophet you claim to believe,” Mr Oyedepo warned. This, he described as “dangerous” and “can make a man leprous.”

The fiery preacher who gave the warning during a summit at the church’s headquarters, in Ota area of Ogun, stated categorically that the warning came as a result of the revelation he had received.

“When we give warnings, we give it based on prophetic insights,” Mr Oyedepo said, just as he noted that many have been victims of his warning.

“We don’t have the data of how many victims may have come from this warning, but I know quite some would have been victims,” he said.

Nonetheless, the cleric acknowledged that prophets are subjected to severe criticisms.

“Every prophet is ordained to be spoken against. So it is not a problem. It is already written. It is not that it is something that is new,” he added.

In one of his teachings in September last year, Mr Oyedepo said he pays no attention to critics because their views are irrelevant when he does the work of the gospel.

“When I’m doing the things of God, how they feel is irrelevant,” he had said. “Hearing, I rejoice. Saying it is stupid, yet we are rising. Disgracing; impact is growing. (They say) We are all mad people; thank you, we are making it. And only fools doubt fools,” the preacher said.

Meanwhile, Mr Oyedepo’s recent warning comes at a time criticisms have trailed the teachings of an evangelist, Funmilayo Adebayo, who many regard as Mummy G.O.

Although Mrs Adebayo’s church has been in existence for over a decade, her fierce teachings centering on heaven and hell only garnered momentum in the past few weeks with social media users attributing several quotes to her teachings.

Many of her teachings have been criticised, with many accusing her of misleading Christians with her hell-threatening preachings.