Adeboye to FG: Give Service Chiefs 90 Days to End Terrorism or Resign

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye, has urged the Federal Government to take a firm stand against terrorism by giving service chiefs a 90-day ultimatum to eliminate terrorists or resign.

Adeboye made the call in a video posted to his official X account on Tuesday. He framed the remarks as advice to the government amid rising insecurity nationwide, including the abduction of pupils, students, and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

“You can only advise the Commander-in-Chief. You can’t command him. Because if you command the Commander-in-Chief, then you become the commander of the Commander-in-Chief. That doesn’t make sense. But I’ve tried. And God is my witness,” he said.

“So then, I don’t want to take much of your time. What should we do now? I’m talking to you as my children. If I were asked to make suggestions, I would say quietly to our government: move fast and tell our security chiefs, ‘Get rid of these terrorists within 90 days or resign.’”

The 84-year-old cleric recalled a similar directive allegedly issued by former President Muhammadu Buhari at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“There was a president, unfortunately he’s dead now — that’s Buhari — who issued such an order,” Adeboye said. “Some of you will remember. He called the service chiefs together and said, ‘I give you three months. Get rid of all these Boko Haram people or resign.’”

Adeboye also said military operations should target not only armed groups but also those who finance and support them.

“When giving orders to the service chiefs this time, we should make it clear that they are not only to eliminate the terrorists,” he said. “They should eliminate their sponsors, no matter how influential they may be.”

His comments come amid nationwide protests and growing public concern over insecurity. A series of mass school kidnappings in the final quarter of 2025 drew renewed international attention, including the abduction of about 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State in November and the seizure of roughly 300 students and several teachers in Niger State the same month.

The Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the U.S. military, has recently stepped up operations against jihadists in the north, recording some successes.