AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fully assume his constitutional role as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces by taking decisive action against bandits and terrorists responsible for the ongoing bloodshed across the country.
The Christian body described the incessant attacks and loss of hundreds of lives as intolerable and urged the government to act with urgency and resolve.
Speaking in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, PFN President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, decried the continuous killings, particularly in Benue State, calling them a “mindless, satanic act” that goes against the will of God for Nigeria.
“The killings across the nation, especially in Benue, are heartbreaking. The Federal Government must live up to its responsibility. Nigerians voted for a Commander-in-Chief, not a Mourner-in-Chief,” Bishop Oke said. “Claiming that the killers are foreigners is not an excuse. If they are indeed foreign elements, then the government must wipe them out.”
The statement comes in the wake of fresh attacks in Kwara, Benue, and Sokoto States, where at least 21 people were killed by suspected bandits. According to the PFN, these tragic events are part of a broader wave of violence in recent weeks, with increased reports of attacks in Plateau, Enugu, and other states.
Bishop Oke further condemned what he described as a lack of political will to end the crisis, insisting that the narrative blaming foreign terrorists is misleading.
“The idea that the killers are foreigners doesn’t hold water. The Nigerian government must defend the country’s territorial integrity. They know who is behind the killings but are not sincere enough to act. They lack the political will,” he said.
The PFN President also criticized National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, for saying the Tinubu administration inherited a “bastardised situation” dating back 15 years. He urged Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action to restore security.
“Someone is clearly misleading the President, and if he truly doesn’t know what’s happening, then those responsible should be held accountable and replaced with capable individuals who genuinely care about the Nigerian people,” Bishop Oke added. “The killings must stop.”
He also expressed concern that some perpetrators are being shielded due to ethnic affiliations or perceived immunity.
“There are sacred cows being protected because they are seen as kinsmen from across the border. The government must rise above ethnic sentiments and decisively root out those behind these atrocities. Let Nigerians live in peace—whatever it takes.”
“This is the demand of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. We are tired of the killings,” he concluded.
