The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, has lamented that the killing of Christians in parts of Nigeria, particularly in Benue State, has continued despite international attention and condemnation by United States President Donald Trump.
“Since Donald Trump spoke about this thing, the killings have still been going on in Benue State,” Bishop Oke claimed.
Speaking on Channels Television’s “Morning Brief” on Thursday alongside Reverend Gideon Para-Mallam, President of the Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, Bishop Oke maintained that what is happening in several parts of Nigeria amounts to a “Christian genocide” that has persisted for over 15 years.
“Indeed, there’s Christian genocide in Nigeria, and it’s been going on for over 15 years now,” Bishop Oke said.
“This administration inherited the challenge, so we’re not blaming them for it, but we are holding them accountable for the lives of every Christian in Nigeria.”
The cleric recalled several tragic incidents, including the alleged massacre of over 500 Christians in one night at Dogo Nawa, and the mass burial of victims in Benue State on Christmas Day.
Oke recounted witnessing the harrowing scenes of coffins lined up in Benue, describing it as one of the darkest days in the state’s history.
“I cannot hold back my tears that day when I saw the line-up of coffins,” he said. “We are not in an active war, yet innocent people are being killed simply for the offence of being Christians.”
Bishop Oke also cited various individual attacks across the northern region, recounting the story of a pastor who was threatened by Boko Haram to leave the area but refused.
“They attacked his family, slaughtered the twins his wife had just given birth to, like rams, right in front of her,” he narrated.
“The church had to rehabilitate her over time because she went insane from the trauma.”
He further referenced the abduction of Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls, reminding Nigerians that the Chibok community is predominantly Christian.
Reverend Para-Mallam, who also spoke during the interview, urged the government to show a stronger commitment to protecting lives and ensuring justice for victims of religiously motivated violence.
He said, “We want the killings to stop. If it stops, we will be the first to acknowledge it.”
