ABUJA, Nigeria — Dr Paul Enenche, Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), has warned Nigerians against patronising online loan applications, describing them as “agents of the devil in covenant with the spirit of debt.”
Speaking during Sunday’s service in Abuja on September 7, 2025, Enenche expressed concern over the growing influence of digital lending platforms and their impact on borrowers’ mental health.
“Many people have been deceived by the promise of quick financial relief,” he told worshippers.
“But once they fall into the trap, they are subjected to harassment, intimidation, and embarrassment that sometimes push them into depression or even suicide.”
Reports of Harassment
The cleric highlighted the aggressive debt recovery methods employed by some platforms, saying that borrowers often endure unrelenting phone calls and threatening messages.
“Some of these platforms even go as far as publishing defamatory statements and fake obituaries online to disgrace debtors,” he said.
According to him, such practices compound the financial and emotional strain of borrowers who had initially sought relief.
A Spiritual Warning
Enenche framed the issue as a spiritual as well as a social concern.
“These things are demonic covenants with debt, and no child of God should have anything to do with them,” he declared.
He urged Christians to resist what he described as the temptation of easy money, warning that financial shortcuts through online loans often come at a destructive cost.
Wider Concerns
His remarks come at a time of mounting public criticism of digital lending companies in Nigeria.
Over the past two years, several platforms have faced accusations of breaching privacy rights and deploying extreme tactics to recover debts.
Consumer rights advocates have called for stronger regulation of the sector, citing rising cases of anxiety, depression, and, in some instances, suicide linked to online loan harassment.
