Samuel Omang
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has urged the Federal Government to urgently neutralise terrorists and dismantle their funding networks ahead of a possible United States military intervention in Nigeria.
Adeboye issued the warning during the November Holy Ghost Service on Friday while responding to recent threats by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Christians in Nigeria faced an “existential threat.”
The cleric advised President Bola Tinubu to issue a clear three-month ultimatum to the newly appointed service chiefs to eliminate terrorists and their sponsors, insisting that any failure should attract immediate resignation.
“This is not the time for blame games. Our President inherited this problem,” Adeboye said. “Some of you will remember who instructed the service chiefs in the past to wipe out Boko Haram in three months or resign. The order was given, they moved fast, but the job wasn’t completed.”
He recalled visiting the then-president—now deceased—to question the failure to enforce the directive. Although he withheld details of their discussion, Adeboye said the encounter informs his current counsel to the government.
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“When giving orders this time, we must make it clear: eliminate the terrorists and their sponsors, no matter how influential they may be,” he stated.
Adeboye warned that if the US eventually launches a strike, Nigeria should expect no help from global powers.
“If America attacks us, China is not coming. Russia will not come. Britain will condemn it strongly, and that’s all,” he said. “This is not the time for drama or semantics. Innocent people are dying.”
The cleric urged President Tinubu to diplomatically appeal to Trump for a 100-day grace period to tackle insurgency. With that window, he said, the President should then mandate the security chiefs to deliver tangible results within 90 days or resign.
“All our service chiefs are new. They should perform within three months or step aside,” he insisted.
Trump’s earlier comments on his Truth Social platform had accused radical Islamist groups of threatening Nigeria’s Christian population and signalled that his administration would be “ready, willing and able” to intervene. He also directed key members of Congress to investigate the situation and report back to him.
Adeboye’s words came amid accusation of silence among high profile Christian clerics since Trump’s allegations of Christian Genocide