By our correspondent
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has called on the Federal Government to act swiftly against terrorists and their sponsors in Nigeria before the United States initiates any military intervention.
Speaking during the November edition of the RCCG Holy Ghost Service on Friday, Adeboye urged President Bola Tinubu to give the newly appointed service chiefs a three-month ultimatum to eradicate terrorism and its financiers, warning that failure to meet the target should lead to their resignation.
“This is not the time for apportioning blame,” Adeboye said. “Our President inherited this problem; it started before him. What matters now is action.”
The cleric recalled that he had previously advised the late President Muhammadu Buhari to adopt a similar approach when insecurity in the country was at its peak. According to him, Buhari accepted the suggestion but failed to enforce it fully.
“Some of you remember who called the service chiefs together and said, ‘I give you three months to get rid of all these Boko Haram people or resign,’” Adeboye recounted. “He ran with that advice, but he didn’t follow through. When the deadline passed, I went to see him again. Unfortunately, he’s no longer alive to explain why he didn’t proceed with his threat.”
Adeboye stressed that any directive given to the current service chiefs should include a clear mandate to eliminate not just the terrorists but also their sponsors, regardless of their influence or connections.
The cleric also cautioned that Nigeria could be left isolated if the United States were to take military action against the country, warning that other global powers would likely refrain from offering support.
“If America attacks us, China will not come to defend us. Russia will not come to defend us. Britain and other nations will only condemn the action in strong terms, that’s all,” Adeboye said.
“This is not the time for drama or semantics. Innocent people are dying, and our leaders must move fast, diplomatically and wisely.”
Adeboye further appealed to President Tinubu to seek diplomatic engagement with U.S. President Donald Trump, asking him to grant Nigeria a 100-day grace period to address the insurgency challenge.
“Let the government convince President Trump to give us 100 days of grace,” he advised. “All our service chiefs, fortunately, are new. They should perform within three months or resign.”
His comments came in response to recent remarks by President Trump, who had warned via his Truth Social platform that Christianity in Nigeria was facing an “existential threat” from extremist groups. Trump said the U.S. “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening” and pledged that his administration would act to protect Christians globally.
