PFN Appeals to Trump for Support, Rejects Military Action

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has appealed to former United States President Donald Trump to collaborate with President Bola Tinubu in addressing Nigeria’s insecurity challenges rather than threatening military action.

PFN President, Bishop Wale Oke, made the appeal during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, emphasizing that the church does not support any foreign intervention in Nigeria.

“Whatever needs to be done should be done to stop the killings. The life of every Nigerian is precious, and the targeted attacks against the church should stop. If President Tinubu requests counter-terrorism training or any other form of expertise from America, let him do so,” Oke said.

“For us, we do not want an American invasion of Nigeria. We want Donald Trump to work with our President and hold him accountable to stop the targeted killing and kidnapping of our members,” he added.

His remarks followed Trump’s recent posts on his Truth Social platform, where he declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern” and threatened swift military action over what he described as the “mass slaughter of Christians.”

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote, adding that if the U.S. were to act, it would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”

The statement generated international debate and domestic backlash, prompting the Federal Government to dismiss the claims as false and misleading.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious conflict was “inaccurate and harmful,” stressing that the government was committed to addressing insecurity nationwide.

Similarly, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs refuted the notion of Christian genocide, warning against framing insecurity in religious terms.

Bishop Oke also called on the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to end the violence, stressing that all citizens deserve equal protection.

“We don’t want revenge. We only want an end to the killings. Every Nigerian—Muslim or Christian—should be able to live, work, and practice their faith freely anywhere in the country,” he said.