The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), yesterday, charged the President to fully assume his constitutional role as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces by taking decisive action against bandits and terrorists responsible for the ongoing bloodshed across the federation.

It described the incessant attacks and loss of hundreds of lives as intolerable, urging the government to act with urgency and resolve.
Speaking in Ibadan, PFN President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, decried the continued 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, adding: “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 no fewer than 21 people were killed by 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.

Oke condemned what he described as a lack of political will to end the crisis, insisting that the narrative blaming foreign terrorists was misleading.

The PFN boss also criticised the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, for saying the Tinubu administration inherited a “bastardised situation” dating back 15 years.

He urged the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action to restore security.

SIMILARLY, presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general elections, Adewole Adebayo, has blamed the worsening insecurity in the country on leadership failure.

Reacting to the recent killings in Bassa and Bokkos local councils of Plateau State and parts of Benue State during an interview, the politician agreedwith the late literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe, who many years, ago traced Nigeria’s problem to leadership.

He said, “I’m directly saying it’s a failure of leadership. Achebe said it four decades ago, and he was right; leadership is Nigeria’s problem. And I don’t need to tell you that President (Bola) Tinubu is a full-fledged mascot of leadership failure. A living example of how leaders fail, while still alive.

“Insecurity is not new. Nobody can say, ‘Oh, when I was running for election in 2023, I didn’t know there was insecurity.’ The insecurity that we have now is a sign of poor governance.”

Adebayo advised the President to investigate those working with him and take concrete steps to curb insecurity in the country, as the Commander-in-Chief, who has the primary responsibility to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.

“He needs to look around. The office of Commander-in-Chief isn’t just about wearing an Agbada. The President is the Head of State, the father of the country, whom we can be proud of. He is the comforter of the bereaved. His position requires compassion; it requires presence. Even if the problem is outside your jurisdiction, the President must show empathy. When a boat capsizes and people die, he must be a comforter of the bereaved; a co-celebrant in joy and a co-mourner in pain,” he added.

Adebayo also advised Tinubu to resign if the job is too much for him.