The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has appealed to the United States President Donald Trump to collaborate with President Bola Tinubu in addressing Nigeria’s worsening security situation, instead of threatening military intervention.
PFN’s President, Bishop Wale Oke, made the appeal during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday. He stressed that the lives of Nigerians, irrespective of faith, must be protected and called for greater international cooperation to tackle terrorism and violent extremism.
“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,” Oke said. “If President Tinubu seeks support for counterterrorism training from the United States, or wherever America has expertise, he should ask for it. But 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.”
Oke further urged the Nigerian government to take decisive steps to end the wave of violence sweeping across the country.
“We don’t want revenge, like I said. But we want an end to killings. We want every Nigerian, whether Muslim or Christian, to live, work, and worship freely anywhere in the country,” he added.
The PFN’s position follows recent remarks by Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform, where he accused Nigerian authorities of failing to protect Christians from what he termed a “mass slaughter.” Declaring Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” Trump claimed thousands of Christians were being killed by “radical Islamists” and warned that the United States might take military action if the situation persisted.
“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians,” Trump wrote. “The Nigerian government better move fast!”
His statements triggered widespread international concern and strong reactions within Nigeria. The Federal Government swiftly rejected Trump’s assertions, describing them as false and capable of inciting division.
“Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is inaccurate and harmful,” said the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) also condemned Trump’s narrative, cautioning against framing national insecurity in religious terms. Similarly, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the northern region clarified that Trump’s comments should be seen as a call for action rather than a literal threat of invasion.
Bishop Oke reaffirmed that while Nigerian Christians are concerned about rising insecurity, they seek peace, justice, and stronger global support for Nigeria’s security apparatus, not external aggression.
