PFN President Urges Tinubu to Work With Trump to End Christian Killing
The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has called on President Bola Tinubu to collaborate with U.S. President Donald Trump in addressing what he described as an ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Friday, Oke said the scale of attacks on Christian communities across northern and central Nigeria could no longer be denied.
“There is Christian genocide in Nigeria. There is no other name to call it. No Christian group is attacking Muslims. The patience of the church is being stretched,” he stated.
The cleric cited incidents such as the killing of Deborah Samuel, the abduction of Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls, and multiple assaults in Benue, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Owo, Niger, and Plateau States as evidence of widespread violence targeting Christians.
He explained that the perpetrators were radical groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, not the Muslim community, adding that their violent campaigns had cost hundreds of innocent lives, including pastors and worshippers.
Oke commended President Trump for his outspokenness on the issue, recalling that he previously listed Nigeria among countries of concern over religious persecution. However, he stressed that diplomatic cooperation — not confrontation — remained the best path forward.
“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.
He urged the Tinubu administration to take decisive action to protect citizens regardless of faith, noting that while the current government inherited the insecurity challenges, it must not allow them to persist.
“Government should not play politics with this matter. It is a cancer that needs urgent attention,” Oke added.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu is currently holding consultations with religious leaders following Trump’s recent threat of possible military action over alleged human rights abuses in Nigeria.
