*Urges Tinubu to cooperate with Trump
The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, said on Friday that it is undeniable that Christian genocide is ongoing in Nigeria, urging President Bola Tinubu to partner President Donald Trump of the United States in addressing the cancer and scourge of killings and attacks on Christian communities.
Trump has designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”, pointing out that there is ongoing Christian genocide, over which he vowed to deal with the situation.
However, the Nigerian government and some stakeholders have repudiated the claim.
Oke’s remarks came amid heightened national and international scrutiny of Nigeria’s security situation, particularly the recurrent attacks on Christian communities in the northern and central regions of the country.
While addressing journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Wale Oke said it was not debatable that there was genocide against Christians in the country.
Listing killings such as that of Deborah Samuel, as well as the abduction of Leah Sharibu, the Chibok girls, and attacks in Benue, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Owo in Ondo State, Niger, and Plateau states, the cleric asserted that hundreds of Christians and pastors had been massacred.
Bishop Oke said: “There is Christian genocide in Nigeria. There is no other name to call it. No Christian group is attacking Muslims. Patience of the church is being stretched.”
He clarified that the violence is perpetrated by radical groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and their splinter factions, who profess Islam during the onslaught, and not by the Muslim community at large.
Oke expressed appreciation to Trump for raising concerns over the plight of Christians but urged against any invasion, stressing that cooperation with the Nigerian government is the preferred solution.
“President Tinubu should ask for the cooperation of President Trump instead of opposing him. The President should root out radical groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP. Work together so Nigerians can live in peace,” he said.
The PFN leader also stressed the constitutional duty of the federal government to protect all citizens, noting that while the current administration inherited the security challenges, decisive action is urgently needed.
“Government should stand up and not play politics with it. President Tinubu and the federal government need to cooperate with Trump to deal with this cancer,” Oke added.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has started meeting with religious leaders concerning the threat from Trump to carry out military action in Nigeria against terrorists.