•Adeboye, Tinubu and Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Oluyede
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has urged the federal government to give Nigeria’s security chiefs a 90-day ultimatum to eliminate terrorists or resign from office.
Adeboye made the call in a video shared on his X handle today.
He expressed concern over the country’s worsening security situation and called for urgent action against perpetrators of violence, reports The PUNCH.
According to him, security chiefs should be held accountable for results in the fight against terrorism.
He said, “You can only advise the commander-in-chief. You can’t command him, because if you command the commander-in-chief, then you become the commander of the commander-in-chief. That doesn’t make sense.
“But I’ve tried. And God is my witness. I don’t want to take much of your time.
“What should we do now? I’m talking to you as my children. If I were asked to make suggestions, I would say quietly to our government, move fast. And tell our security chiefs, get rid of these terrorists within 90 days, or resign.”
The cleric also urged the government to target not only terrorists but also their sponsors, regardless of their influence.
He said, “When giving orders to the service chiefs this time around, we should make it clear to them that they are not only to eliminate the terrorists; they should eliminate their sponsors, no matter how influential they may be.”
Adeboye recalled that a former Nigerian president once issued a similar directive to security chiefs, but said the order was not fully enforced after the deadline elapsed.
He said, “There was a president, unfortunately he’s dead now… who called the service chiefs together and said, I give you three months. Get rid of all these Boko Haram people, or resign.”
He added, “He ran with that advice, but he didn’t follow it through… because he gave the order as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. But security operatives moved fast.”
Adeboye said he later met the late president after the deadline passed, noting that the experience shaped his current recommendation.
He said, “So I went to see him… this time, somehow, the press got to know that I visited him… unfortunately, like I said, he’s not alive now.”
The cleric added that his advice to government remains that security chiefs must not only be tasked with eliminating terrorists but also their sponsors “no matter how influential they may be.”
Recall that the pastor originally made the statement in November 2025 during the Holy Ghost Service while reacting to threats issued by United States President Donald Trump over religious violence in Nigeria.
Adeboye reshared the video amid allegations that he had campaigned for a government or political party and that he called for the cancellation of a planned protest against insecurity.
Earlier today, RCCG defended the General Overseer against what it described as persistent falsehoods and deliberate misrepresentations.
In a statement issued through its official public relations handle on X, the church said it would no longer remain silent in the face of inaccurate narratives about its leader.
According to the church, both Adeboye and the church have, for years, been subjected to false narratives driven by personal interests.
It accused some commentators, bloggers, and media organisations of circulating misleading claims about Adeboye’s positions on politics, governance, and national issues without proper verification.
Addressing allegations that Adeboye had campaigned for a government or political party, the church described such claims as untrue, maintaining that the cleric has consistently encouraged civic participation without endorsing candidates.
The church explained that he had merely communicated a directive from the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria concerning changes to the format of a nationwide prayer programme.
The church further rejected suggestions that the cleric has remained silent on major national issues.
“Pastor E.A. Adeboye has, on several occasions, spoken about national issues such as insecurity, corruption, economic hardship, elections, governance, and the need for righteous leadership. However, he often chooses the language of moral guidance, prayer, and counsel rather than partisan political confrontation,” the statement added.
