Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
In a video that went viral again on June 29th, 2026, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has defended President Bola Tinubu against mounting public criticism over Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, insisting that the president has fulfilled his constitutional duty as commander-in-chief by issuing operational directives to the military and should not be expected to personally join the fight against terrorists. Adeboye made the remarks on Monday, June 23, 2026, while speaking at the US-Nigeria Faith Heroes Award Gala organised by the Save Nigeria Group in Washington, D.C.
Addressing an audience that included members of the Nigerian diaspora and international guests, the respected cleric pushed back against those holding the president personally responsible for the deteriorating security situation. “I need to make this one clear: I don’t support those who are accusing the president of not doing enough,” Adeboye said. “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.”
Drawing a comparison with global leadership, Adeboye cited the example of United States President Donald Trump, whom he referred to as “my friend Trump.” He explained that commanders-in-chief are not expected to personally participate in military operations. “When my friend Trump gives instructions to go and bomb anywhere, he doesn’t leave the White House. He has done his bit. ‘I hereby command, bomb Iran,’ and then he goes to his bedroom and sleeps. The rest is left to the supporters,” Adeboye said.
Despite his defence of the president, Adeboye offered a stark assessment of Nigeria’s security situation, acknowledging that terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry have deteriorated significantly and spread from the north to the south of the country. “Things have gone far, far worse than before the bomb came,” he said, referring to the US bombing of Islamist terrorists in December 2025. “Far, far worse… so bad that they are asking: ‘Where is your God?’ That is how bad it is.”
The cleric lamented that the violence, once concentrated in the northern part of the country, had reached his own doorstep. “The terrorism, kidnapping, and so on that were in the north are now even at my doorstep. They have come all the way down to the south,” he said. He also expressed frustration that the sponsors of terrorism, whom he described as influential and wealthy individuals, remained free. “The sponsors — they are all known, and they are still moving about freely,” Adeboye stated.
Adeboye disclosed that he had personally discussed the security crisis with President Tinubu and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during which he urged the president to issue a firm directive to the nation’s security chiefs. According to the cleric, he advised Tinubu to give military commanders a 90-day ultimatum to eliminate terrorism or resign. “I told him to tell all the military boys, all the army, navy and air force: ‘You have 90 days. Wipe out this rubbish or resign.’ And then take care of the supporters, the sponsors,” Adeboye said.
He also called on the government to go after the financiers of terrorism, describing them as influential businessmen and politicians who supply arms and ammunition to the criminals. “You know them. Some of them are businessmen. Some of them are politicians. Go after them. Because if you do not deal with those who are supplying these people with arms and ammunition — and most of the time, when they go about, they go about on motorcycles — if we don’t go after the sponsors, the problem will continue,” he warned.
Beyond domestic measures, Adeboye appealed to the United States and other countries to support Nigeria’s efforts to combat terrorism and restore security across the country. His remarks come at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with multiple security threats, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and kidnapping-for-ransom in the South-West and South-East.
The Save Nigeria Group, which organised the gala, described the event as a platform to honour individuals and organisations contributing to Nigeria’s development and to foster dialogue on pressing national issues. Adeboye’s address has sparked mixed reactions, with some Nigerians applauding his defence of the president while others criticised his remarks as tone-deaf amid the escalating crisis.
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