The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, on Sunday urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to relent in the fight against insecurity, insisting that terrorists and bandits must be decisively crushed without regard for “sacred cows”.
Wale Oke gave the charge while speaking on the state of the nation with some journalists in Ibadan, warning that insecurity has become Nigeria’s most dangerous threat and must be tackled with firmness and justice.
The PFN President said corruption is no longer the main challenge in Nigeria but insecurity, commending President Donald Trump of the United States for cooperating with the Nigerian state to root out bandits, terrorists, and other merchants of death.
“Don’t relent until Nigeria is fully secured. Spare no one. Allow no sacred cows. If you don’t bring insecurity down, it will bring this country down,” the PFN President said.
He dismissed the idea of negotiating with or rehabilitating terrorists and bandits, describing it as dangerous to national stability.
“There is nothing like repentant terrorists. Governance is not a church service. They are not repenting; they want to enter the system in order to weaken it from within. If they claim repentance, that is between them and their God. The duty of government is justice and security,” Oke declared.
The Christian leader lauded President Tinubu for what he described as renewed momentum in tackling insecurity, including the decision to cooperate with international partners such as the United States.
“We commend the President for moving fast and for cooperating with the United States to flush out these bandits. This is not submission of Nigeria’s sovereignty. It is cooperation to defeat criminals who have turned our country into a killing field. You are doing a good job,” he said.
The cleric called for national unity against violence, stressing that no Nigerian should die needlessly.
“We should all join hands to end the killings of innocent Nigerians. Anyone who inflicts pain on any Nigerian should face the full weight of the law. No Nigerian should die anyhow, whether Christian or Muslim,” he said.
While acknowledging government efforts to ease hardship through palliatives, Oke said such measures were not enough.
“We need more than palliatives. We need good governance. Don’t create a safe haven for those who have stolen our money. Don’t shield corruption. Anti-corruption efforts must be fair, firm, and decisive,” he said.
Despite the nation’s challenges, the PFN President offered a message of hope to Nigerians, expressing confidence in the country’s resilience.
“There is hope for Nigeria,” he said, citing Job 14:7. “There is hope of a tree. Even when it is cut down, it will sprout again. Nigeria will survive. There is great hope, great blessings, and great joy ahead. Nigeria will be better.”
Oke urged Nigerians to remain united, prayerful, and determined, expressing optimism that with decisive leadership and collective resolve, insecurity would be defeated and the nation restored.
