The news says: The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has called on the Federal Government to give service chiefs a 90-day ultimatum to eliminate terrorists and their sponsors or resign.
Who are the people involved in this call to action? Pastor Enoch Adeboye (RCCG General Overseer), the Federal Government, President Bola Tinubu (Commander-in-Chief), the service chiefs (military, army, navy, air force), terrorist sponsors, and all Nigerians affected by insecurity including the abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
Where did this happen? Adeboye made the call in a video posted on his official X handle on Tuesday, June 2 or 3, 2026. His comments are directed at the Federal Government in Abuja but resonate nationwide.
What did he say? Adeboye suggested that the government should tell security chiefs: “Get rid of these terrorists within 90 days or resign.” He also said military operations should eliminate not just terrorists but also their sponsors, “no matter how influential they may be.”
When did this happen? Adeboye spoke on Tuesday. His comments follow nationwide protests over insecurity, the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State on May 15, 2026, and mass school kidnappings in Kebbi and Niger States in late 2025.
Why did he speak now? Because insecurity has reached a point where even the church can no longer remain silent. Adeboye is 84 years old. He has seen Nigerian leaders come and go. He has rarely issued such a direct, time-bound ultimatum to government. The fact that he did so now shows that the situation is desperate.
How did he deliver his message? Carefully. He acknowledged that he cannot command the Commander-in-Chief. He said: “You can only advise the Commander-in-Chief. You can’t command him.” Then he gave his advice clearly: 90 days or resignation. He also recalled that former President Buhari issued a similar order to service chiefs during the Boko Haram insurgency.
5 things you must know.
- Adeboye is not a politician – he is one of Nigeria’s most respected religious leaders. When Pastor Adeboye speaks, millions listen. He leads one of the largest Pentecostal churches in the world, with parishes in over 190 countries. He has advised every Nigerian president since 1999. He rarely issues ultimatums. His words carry moral weight that no politician can ignore. This is not a activist shouting from the streets. This is a father of the nation speaking.
- He gave a specific timeline – 90 days or resignation. Adeboye did not say “government should do something.” He gave a clear, measurable, time-bound demand: 90 days to get rid of terrorists, or service chiefs should resign. That is concrete. That is enforceable. That puts pressure not just on the service chiefs but on President Tinubu, who would have to either fire them or explain why he ignored Adeboye’s advice.
- He wants sponsors eliminated, “no matter how influential.” This is perhaps the most explosive part of his statement. Adeboye said military operations should eliminate not just terrorists but their sponsors. He added: “no matter how influential they may be.” That means he is acknowledging that powerful Nigerians – possibly in government, business, or traditional institutions – are funding terrorism. He is calling for them to be killed or captured. That is a direct challenge to the establishment.
- He recalled Buhari’s alleged three-month order as a precedent. Adeboye said former President Buhari once told service chiefs: “I give you three months. Get rid of all these Boko Haram people or resign.” Whether that order was actually given or not, Adeboye is using it to say: this has been done before. It is possible. The government cannot claim it is impossible. A former president did it. The current president can do it too.
- He spoke after nationwide protests and school abductions. Adeboye did not speak in a vacuum. Teachers have protested in Abuja. Students have been abducted. A mathematics teacher was beheaded in Oyo State. About 300 students were taken in Niger State. 24 schoolgirls were abducted in Kebbi State. The church has been silent through much of this. Now Adeboye has broken that silence. His timing is deliberate: he is amplifying the voice of the protesters.
How this affects Nigerians.
i. It puts unprecedented pressure on President Tinubu and the service chiefs. When a man of Adeboye’s stature gives a 90-day ultimatum, the government cannot ignore him. Tinubu must now respond publicly. If he agrees, he must issue the order. If he disagrees, he must explain why. The service chiefs now know that their jobs are being publicly questioned by a national icon. That changes the calculus.
ii. It gives moral cover to Nigerians demanding action. Many Nigerians feel helpless. They protest. They are ignored. Now Adeboye has said the same thing they have been saying. That validates their frustration. It also encourages more people to speak out. If a respected clergyman can say “90 days or resign,” ordinary citizens can say it too without fear of being called unpatriotic.
iii. It raises the stakes for terrorist sponsors. Adeboye’s call to eliminate sponsors “no matter how influential” is a warning shot. Those who fund terrorism – whether politicians, businessmen, or traditional rulers – now know that their names are being whispered. Adeboye has put them on notice. If the government follows his advice, some very powerful people could be targeted.
iv. It tests the government’s commitment to listening to elders. Nigerian culture respects elders. Adeboye is 84 years old. He is a national treasure. If the government ignores his advice, it sends a message: we do not listen to anyone, not even our most respected religious leaders. That would further alienate the public and deepen the legitimacy crisis.
v. It could lead to real change if Tinubu acts. A 90-day deadline focuses the mind. Service chiefs who know they could lose their jobs in three months will work differently. They will take risks they avoided before. They will pursue sponsors they previously protected. Adeboye has essentially lit a fire under the security establishment. Whether that fire leads to action or just smoke depends on Tinubu.
Advice from this analyst.
- To President Bola Tinubu: respond to Adeboye publicly. Invite him for a conversation. Thank him for his counsel. Then either issue the 90-day order or explain why you cannot. Silence will be interpreted as weakness. A public engagement will show that you respect the clergy and take insecurity seriously.
- To the service chiefs: take Adeboye’s words as a professional warning. Your jobs are now publicly on the line. Use the next 90 days to show results. Go after sponsors. Coordinate across branches. Work with local intelligence. If you succeed, you will be heroes. If you fail and are fired, you will be remembered as the generation that lost Nigeria to terrorists.
- To Pastor Adeboye and the RCCG: follow up. Do not let this be a one-day video. Track the 90 days publicly. At day 30, ask: what has been done? At day 60, ask again. At day 90, pass judgment. Your moral authority depends on follow-through. A single video is not enough.
- To the Nigerian public: use Adeboye’s statement as a tool for advocacy. Quote him in your protests. Share his video. Write to your representatives saying: “Adeboye has spoken. Will you act?” His words carry weight that yours alone may not. Amplify them.
- To the media: hold the government accountable to the 90-day timeline. Publish a countdown. At every milestone, report on progress or lack thereof. Do not let the government forget that Adeboye set a clock. Your job is to keep that clock visible to every Nigerian.
Rhetorical question for you.
If Pastor Enoch Adeboye – at 84 years old, after decades of counselling presidents – has to go on social media to tell the government to give service chiefs a 90-day ultimatum to defeat terrorists, what does that say about how bad insecurity has become?
It says that the situation is worse than most Nigerians know. It says that the church has lost patience. It says that the government has run out of excuses. And it says that if nothing changes in 90 days, even the most patient elders will begin to demand resignations – not just of service chiefs, but of the President himself.
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Akahi News reports that Adeboye has thrown down a gauntlet. 90 days. Eliminate terrorists and sponsors. Or service chiefs resign. The clock is now ticking. Nigerians are watching. The families of abducted children are watching. The terrorists are also watching. What happens in the next three months will determine whether this nation finally turns the corner on insecurity – or sinks deeper into the abyss.