The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) is calling on the government led by Chief Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on security amidst the ongoing banditry and kidnappings plaguing the nation.
President of the Fellowship, Bishop Wale Oke, emphasized the urgency of addressing these security challenges and urged Tinubu not to underestimate the gravity of the situation.
Additionally, Oke appealed to Nigerians to set aside their differences and collaborate with Tinubu, recognizing that solving these issues requires collective effort rather than reliance on one individual.
READ ALSO: Share Ideas with Tinubu to Run Economy, Good Governance, APC Urges Obi, Atiku
He said, “You are a seasoned politician, and you know Nigeria like a man knows the back of his hand. Nigerians are in pain. The blood of innocent people is everywhere. In Plateau state, in Benue state, in Kaduna state, in Ekiti state, and everywhere.
“Please declare a state of emergency on insecurity in Nigeria and use your executive power to compel Nigerian forces to crush insecurity and create a safe Nigeria that is peaceful.
“We learned from a group of people on social media threatening that because the election didn’t go their way, they were going to make Nigeria ungovernable.
“This is illegal; the people issuing the threat are criminals and should not be treated with kid gloves.
“Because we are now carrying it beyond banditry and insurgency, it has become a matter of treasonable felony.”
He added, “I want to assure you of the firm cooperation of over 65 million Pentecostals in Nigeria who will cooperate with you, pray for you, and give you the necessary information that will make you a success.
The body urged Tinubu to open the borders but to be “conscious of security,” saying, “Nigerians are hungry, and prices of food are escalating every day.”
“What Nigerians earn is not sufficient to fuel their cars, let alone feed them. We need Tinubu to work on the economy and provide a solution urgently.
“We believe Nigeria has no problem with hunger if things are done well. If you do, this future generation of Nigeria will call you blessed.
“We should open the border so that food items can come in, but with proper security checks because it has been reported that most people involved in banditry are foreigners, particularly from the Sahel region.
The border should be open in a regulated manner.”