Wale Oke, National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), has stated that genocide exists in Nigeria, but stressed that the violence is not limited to Christians alone.
Speaking in an interview with Punch, Oke said the priority of both the church and the government should be to end all killings, regardless of religion, insisting that no Nigerian deserves to die unjustly.
“Our position is that genocide exists, but it is not just about Christians,” Oke said. “Our concern is that whether Muslim or Christian, stop the killing — that is our priority. We don’t want Muslims to die, and we don’t want Christians to die. We don’t want a situation where there is genocide against Christians today and then it stops, only for there to be genocide against Muslims tomorrow. What we want is a situation where genocide is stopped entirely — whether among Muslims or Christians.”
The PFN leader emphasised that governance exists for the welfare of citizens, urging the government to fulfil its constitutional duty to protect all Nigerians.
“Government exists for the welfare of its people as a primary responsibility,” he said. “When you don’t have governance that addresses the welfare of the people, the PFN will continue to speak truth to power — to remind leaders that the lives and welfare of citizens must come first. The government should stop the killings. No innocent Nigerian should lose his or her life for any reason.”
Oke’s remarks come amid renewed debates about allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria, a claim that has drawn international attention, particularly from some U.S. lawmakers and religious advocacy groups who have urged Washington to take diplomatic action against the Nigerian government.
While the federal government has consistently denied any systematic persecution, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) maintains that Christian communities, especially in northern Nigeria, have faced widespread violence, destruction of places of worship, and loss of lives over the years.