The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has strongly commended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his recent call to end the killing of Christians in Nigeria. Bishop Oke described the international leader's statement as both a timely and courageous intervention.
International Concern Mirrors Local Anguish
Bishop Oke stated that Prime Minister Netanyahu's comments, made on 26 December 2025, reflect a growing wave of global worry over the unending attacks targeting Christian communities within Nigeria. He pointed out that for too long, parts of the country have endured killings, kidnappings, and the destruction of churches, with many innocent citizens losing their lives while lacking sufficient protection from the authorities.
"We appreciate the concern expressed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the plight of Christians in Nigeria," Bishop Oke said. "His statement echoes the cries of millions of Nigerians who have suffered violence, persecution and injustice simply because of their faith."
A Wake-Up Call for Nigerian Authorities
The cleric emphasized that while such international voices are crucial for drawing worldwide attention to the crisis, the fundamental duty to protect lives and property rests squarely with the Nigerian government. He framed Netanyahu's remarks as a direct alert to the nation's leaders.
"This is a wake-up call to the Nigerian authorities. Our people should not need foreign leaders to remind us of the sanctity of human life," he asserted. "The continuous killing of Christians, farmers and innocent citizens must stop."
Bishop Oke called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the nation's security agencies to implement more proactive, intelligence-based strategies to finally curb insecurity. He stressed that achieving peace and justice is non-negotiable for true national unity and development.
Demands for Accountability and Systemic Purge
Addressing potential government pushback, Bishop Oke was unequivocal: "We know the government and its apologists will claim that they are doing their best. But the church in Nigeria, and every Nigerian will never agree with that claim until all killing of Christians, and any Nigerian for that matter, stops and all perpetrators of past killings, kidnappings, violence and land-grabbings are brought to justice."
He issued a firm recommendation to President Tinubu, urging him to "decisively purge Nigeria’s entire security system of moles, fifth columnists, their sponsors and sympathisers who are actively undermining the efforts of our faithful and gallant officers." He added that such elements "should be effectively wiped out for our security system to function properly."
Bishop Oke also appealed to the international community to continue supporting Nigeria's efforts to restore peace, encourage dialogue, and ensure perpetrators of violence are held accountable.
Concluding with a warning, the PFN leader cautioned against any unconstitutional actions, stating, "The military must never consider any unconstitutional move of any kind, as this is totally unacceptable to the Nigerian people." He advised politicians to cease giving wrong signals for military misadventure through poor governance and to stop taking Nigerians for granted with monetary handouts instead of delivering good governance.
He encouraged all citizens not to lose faith in the nation but to remain steadfast in holding elected officials to account.
