The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria has decried what it described as an ongoing “Christian genocide” across the country, accusing the Federal Government of turning a blind eye to repeated attacks on Christian communities.
Addressing journalists after an emergency executive meeting of the Fellowship on Thursday at its national headquarters in Lagos, PFN President, Bishop Wale Oke, said the body would no longer stay silent as Christians continue to be “targeted, killed, raped, and displaced” in different parts of the nation.
“Let us call a spade a spade. There is Christian genocide ongoing in Nigeria,” Bishop Oke declared. “Even while we speak, killings are still taking place in Borno, Plateau, and Benue States. When Christians were massacred in Dogon Noma in Plateau, what do we call that? When Christmas Day turned into a bloody day in Benue, with hundreds massacred, what name should we give it?”
He lamented that despite PFN’s repeated calls for government intervention, authorities have failed to take decisive action to end the violence.
According to him, the church’s warnings have been ignored for over 15 years and only drew wider attention after former U.S. President Donald Trump spoke out on the matter.
“We have been crying for years, presenting data and evidence, but our cries were not taken seriously. Now that Donald Trump has spoken, we are joining our voices with his to appeal to the international community to help stop this evil. The blood of the saints is crying out,” he said.
Drawing a parallel with apartheid-era South Africa, Bishop Oke warned that denial or indifference to the ongoing crisis could plunge Nigeria into deeper turmoil.
“If South Africa had not acknowledged apartheid, it would still be in bondage today. Nigeria must confront the truth – these are Christian-targeted killings, kidnappings, and the forceful takeover of ancestral lands,” he said.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently reform the country’s security architecture and bring justice to victims of religious attacks.
Oke also questioned the continued lack of accountability in cases such as the killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto and the abductions of Leah Sharibu and the Chibok schoolgirls.
“The government should prove by action, not words, that it is not complicit,” he said. “When hundreds are buried in mass graves and the whole world sees it, who can deny it? Why should we play politics with the blood of Nigerians?”
The PFN leader further faulted the government’s reintegration of so-called “repentant terrorists”, describing the move as a dangerous threat to national security.
“They are building houses and integrating them into our security system. That compromises our safety. The President must act decisively. The time to stop this Christian genocide is now,” he warned.
Bishop Oke assured believers that the PFN would continue to raise its voice until the violence ends.
“We are not going to keep quiet. We will keep raising our voices until justice is done and every Nigerian, regardless of faith, can live in peace. The truth may be suppressed for a time, but it cannot be buried forever,” he stated.
