The National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has reaffirmed that the ongoing killings and coordinated attacks on Christian communities across the country amount to genocide.
Speaking in reaction to media reports suggesting he denied such claims during the PFN’s 40th anniversary celebration, Bishop Oke described the reports as “false, misleading, and malicious.”
“Let it be clearly stated: there is genocide against the Church and Christian communities in Nigeria. I have never said otherwise. Anyone following events in this country knows this is true,” he said.
The PFN President cited several incidents to back his assertion, including the abduction of Leah Sharibu, the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls, the Owo Catholic Church massacre, and recurring attacks in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Niger states.
According to him, while Christians and Muslims have coexisted peacefully for generations, extremist groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed militias have continued to unleash violence on Christian communities in different parts of the country.
“Hundreds of churches have been destroyed. Tens of thousands of Christians have been killed. Pastors have been targeted and murdered. Entire villages have been wiped out,” he lamented.
Bishop Oke said the PFN, in collaboration with its partners, has continued to provide humanitarian support to victims, including truckloads of food and essential supplies sent from Lagos to several affected states.
He noted that although the current administration did not originate the crisis, it bears the constitutional responsibility to protect all citizens irrespective of religion or ethnicity.
Reacting to recent remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump on Nigeria, Bishop Oke urged the international community to offer constructive assistance rather than criticism.
“President Trump and other friends of Nigeria should not criticize in a way that undermines our nation. Instead, they should help us. The United States has the technology, intelligence, and training systems required to help defeat these extremist forces,” he said.
The cleric also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to strengthen diplomatic and military cooperation with the United States and other allies to combat terrorism more effectively.
“This challenge is like cancer. We must call it by its name and confront it decisively. Nigeria needs help, and now is the time for collaborative action,” Bishop Oke added.
