Pastor Enoch Adeboye defends Tinubu on insecurity, demands 90-day ultimatum for military chiefs
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has strongly defended President Bola Tinubu against critics blaming the presidency for Nigeria’s escalating security challenges.
Speaking at the U.S.-Nigeria Faith Heroes Award Gala in Washington, D.C., Adeboye asserted that it is unrealistic to expect a commander-in-chief to physically join the battlefield.
Instead, the cleric revealed that he has privately urged the president to hold his military leaders strictly accountable by issuing a definitive 90-day deadline to eradicate the insurgency.
Managing expectations of the commander-in-chief
Addressing the audience at the event organised by the Save Nigeria Group, Adeboye clarified the constitutional role of the president during a security crisis.
He emphasised that once a leader issues strategic directives to the armed forces, execution rests heavily on subordinates.
“I need to make this one clear: I don’t support those who are accusing the president of not doing enough,” Adeboye stated. “When the commander-in-chief has given instructions to his subordinates, he has done his bit. You don’t expect him to go and put on khaki and fight.”
To illustrate his point, Pastor Enoch Adeboye drew a parallel with U.S. President Donald Trump, noting that global leaders direct military actions from the seat of power without personally engaging in combat.
A worsening crisis hits the south
While shielding the presidency from direct blame for tactical military failures, Adeboye did not minimise the severity of Nigeria’s security situation.
He admitted that terrorism and kidnapping have evolved past their initial strongholds in the north and have actively spread into the southern region.
The cleric described the situation as “far, far worse” than in previous months, noting that violent criminal activity has effectively reached his own doorstep.
The 90-day ultimatum and targeting sponsors
To reverse this dangerous trajectory, Adeboye disclosed the specific strategic advice he shared during personal conversations with President Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu. He proposed a zero-tolerance policy for military inertia and a severe crackdown on the financial networks fueling the instability.
A strict deadline: Adeboye advised the president to issue a firm 90-day ultimatum to all military heads to eliminate the security threats or face forced resignation.
Exposing the financiers: He emphasised that the foot soldiers operating in the forests are not the root problem. Instead, the government must aggressively prosecute the prominent politicians and businessmen funding the weapons and logistics.
The cleric concluded by urging the international community, particularly the United States, to bolster its counter-terrorism cooperation with Nigeria, focusing heavily on cutting off the supply chains of arms and ammunition flowing to insurgent groups.
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