Pastor Adeboye Urges Tinubu: “Remove Terrorists’ Sponsors Before Any US Military Action”

Pastor Adeboye Calls on Tinubu to Target Terrorist Sponsors Ahead of Any Foreign Strike

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to first dismantle local networks and sponsors that finance terrorism in Nigeria before any consideration of foreign military strikes.

Speaking during a sermon and in subsequent comments shared on social media, Pastor Adeboye warned that external military action without addressing homegrown enablers would only offer temporary relief and could worsen the country’s security situation.

“If we are to accept assistance from abroad, let us first expose and remove those within our borders who sponsor and fund these evil acts. Otherwise, strikes will only scatter the problem,” Adeboye said.

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He urged the federal government to intensify intelligence-led operations to identify financiers, corrupt facilitators, and local collaborators who provide logistics and safe havens to extremist groups across the North-East and other flashpoints.

Focus on Local Accountability, Not Only Foreign Intervention

Adeboye’s intervention comes amid heated national debate over recent remarks by international figures suggesting possible foreign involvement in tackling Nigeria’s insurgency. The cleric stressed that sovereignty and local responsibility must remain central to any response.

Security analysts who weighed in on the cleric’s remarks told 03Naija that while coordinated international support — intelligence sharing, training, and limited strikes — can help, long-term success depends on cutting off funding and local support networks.

Government Response and Next Steps

A presidential aide contacted late on Friday said the administration appreciates inputs from faith and community leaders and is “committed to a calibrated approach that combines domestic operations with strategic international cooperation.” The Presidency, however, stopped short of announcing any immediate policy shift.

Meanwhile, civil society organisations have echoed Adeboye’s plea for transparency, urging the government to publish progress reports on investigations into suspected financiers and to strengthen anti-money laundering measures that could choke terror funding.

Public Reaction

Pastor Adeboye’s statement has provoked a wide range of reactions online. Supporters praised the cleric for prioritising Nigerian-led solutions, while critics argued that the security crisis requires urgent international collaboration given its transnational dimensions.

Comment threads under the viral clip showed Nigerians demanding both accountability for domestic enablers and clarity from the government about any planned external assistance.