Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) yesterday expressed deep concern over what it described as the worsening state of insecurity across the country, urging the federal government to take immediate and decisive steps to protect lives and restore peace.
This is just as it is called on the federal government to fulfil its constitutional and moral duty of protecting every citizen irrespective of tribe or religion so that the country can truly be “a nation where no one is oppressed,” stating that this is the first responsibility of governance.
It warned that the loss of value for human life in the country has reached an intolerable height, urging the government to seek international help and partnership before the situation deteriorates further.
The PFN President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, made the declarations while addressing journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State, at the end of the three-day national fasting and prayer programme organised by the Christian body from May 22 to May 24, 2026.
According to him, Nigeria is facing a deepening crisis of insecurity that has reached “intolerable and unacceptable levels,” adding that the nation appears to have lost a collective sense of value for human life.
He said the pattern of killings, abductions, and repeated attacks across communities in different regions of the country reflects not only a security failure but also a moral and governance crisis requiring urgent national attention.
The cleric cited several high-profile and recurring cases of abductions and killings, including the prolonged captivity of the Chibok schoolgirls and Leah Sharibu, alongside other victims of insurgency and banditry across the North-East and North-West regions, describing their continued captivity years after their abduction as a national tragedy and a painful reminder of unresolved insecurity challenges that continue to undermine public confidence in state protection.
He also referenced recent attacks in parts of the country, including Oyo State, where teachers and pupils were abducted during a school invasion, noting that such incidents demonstrate the increasing spread of violent attacks beyond traditional hotspots into previously considered safe zones in the South-west and other regions.
Bishop Oke lamented what he described as the absence of strong and sustained political will to decisively confront insecurity, warning that the situation was not only claiming lives but also eroding national unity and weakening the country’s socio-economic stability.
According to him, insecurity has contributed to rising fear among citizens, disrupted farming activities in rural communities, discouraged investment inflows, and forced many young professionals to migrate abroad in search of safety and stability.
He warned against what he called the “normalisation of violence,” maintaining that repeated exposure to killings and abductions risks desensitising citizens and weakening collective outrage against criminality.
The clergyman criticised the continued rehabilitation of so-called “repentant” insurgents without adequate safeguards, stating that such policies, if poorly managed, could undermine trust in the justice and security system.
He also called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s security strategy, insisting that the protection of lives and property remains the primary constitutional responsibility of government at all levels.
“We are burdened for Nigeria today because we have lost our sense of value for human life and its sanctity,” Bishop Oke stated.
He added that the persistence of insecurity across multiple regions of the country requires not only prayer but also a coordinated and effective governance response.
The PFN president also called on Christians across Nigeria to remain united in prayer, repentance, and civic engagement, urging them to speak with one voice against the worsening security situation.
