The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has publicly urged President Bola Tinubu to address Nigeria’s worsening insecurity with urgency, accountability, and diplomacy.Speaking after the November Holy Ghost Service of the church, themed “The Eve of Glory,” Mr Adeboye stressed that this is particularly critical in light of the concerns recently raised by United States President Donald Trump regarding the security situation in Nigeria.
The revered cleric advised President Tinubu to issue a 90-day ultimatum to all security chiefs to decisively eliminate terrorism and insurgency, or be dismissed from office. He recalled giving similar counsel to the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, lamenting that while some initial progress was made at the time, the momentum was lost and the nation eventually slipped back into violence.
Mr Adeboye also called on the Tinubu government to go beyond the perpetrators and work to expose and prosecute the sponsors of terrorism, regardless of how powerful or influential they may be. He insisted that the sanctity of human life must never be compromised and warned that failure to act could have dire consequences, cautioning that if the US decides to act, other global powers like China and Russia would likely only condemn the action but would not come to Nigeria’s defence.
Furthermore, the General Overseer appealed to President Tinubu to open diplomatic dialogue with President Trump and request a 100-day grace period before any possible international action against Nigeria. He suggested that this window should be used by the Nigerian government to “wipe out terrorism once and for all.” Mr Adeboye emphasised the need for swift, strategic action, stating: “This is not the time for jokes, grammar, or arguments. It’s not about Christians or Muslims — innocent people are dying.”
He affirmed that he has consistently offered advice to leaders behind the scenes, noting: “In my usual quiet way, I have related with all the presidents who were around when this trouble started. Whatever I discussed with them privately, I did my best behind the scenes. But you can only advise the Commander-in-Chief — you can’t command him.” He concluded his suggestion by urging the government to “move fast, move diplomatically, move wisely.”
