Eliminate terrorists within 90 days or resign – Adeboye tells service chiefs

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has called on Nigeria’s security chiefs to eliminate terrorists within 90 days or resign, amid rising insecurity across the country.

In a video posted on the church’s official X account on Tuesday, June 2, Adeboye urged the federal government to take urgent action to address ongoing security challenges.

“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,” he said. The cleric noted that religious leaders can only offer advice, while ultimate responsibility for national security rests with the commander-in-chief.

Adeboye recalled advising former President Muhammadu Buhari to give security chiefs a similar deadline to tackle Boko Haram, saying the directive was not fully achieved within the timeframe. In 2021, Buhari had ordered then-service chiefs to intensify efforts against bandits, kidnappers, and their sponsors, urging the armed forces to adopt a more proactive approach.

Adeboye said Buhari acted on similar counsel but did not follow through after the deadline elapsed. “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. The three months went, and the work was not done,” he said.

The RCCG leader also said he later questioned the former president about his decision not to act after the deadline, but declined to disclose details of their conversation. He urged the current administration to ensure that any directives to security chiefs should not only target terrorists but also those who finance and support them.

“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,” he added.

Adeboye’s remarks come amid renewed concerns over insecurity in Nigeria, following a series of kidnappings and attacks on schools and communities in recent months. The comments follow a May 15 incident in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, where gunmen attacked two schools and abducted pupils and teachers. One of the teachers was later killed, with footage of the incident circulating online.

President Bola Tinubu subsequently directed the deployment of a specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify efforts to secure the release of the abducted victims. The abduction is one of several similar incidents recorded across the country in recent months.