April 27, 2025

Edo Killings: PFN Warns Against Retaliation, Demands Action

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Edo Killings: PFN Warns Against Retaliation, Demands Action
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By The9JaTREND

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President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has called on the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and his Kano State counterpart, Governor Abba Yusuf, to speak out against reprisals for the 16 northern travellers that were allegedly killed by a vigilante group in Edo State.

Bishop Oke advised the state incumbents to cooperate and avert the escalation of the crisis in any part of the nation in connection with the Edo killing, adding that evil had been done and that two evils do not make a right.

Oke, who is also the President of Sword of the Spirit Ministries, made the statements while addressing newsmen on yesterday at a press conference held at the Cornerstone City, Lagos-Ibadan highway.

He said a nation with 774 local government areas cannot be centrally policed, advocating for the establishment of state police to provide security in place of vigilantes. He emphatically stressed that vigilantes are a band of people who are not regulated by any law and so they could take the law into their hands.

Condemning the killings, the PFN president said every Nigerian has the right to move freely in any part of Nigeria, calling for urgent and critical steps directed at stopping mindless killings in the country.

Bishop Oke, however, pleaded for fairness and justice in the handling of the killings in Edo and other states of the country.

According to him, “I want to urge Governor Abba Yusuf and Governor Monday Okpebholo to cooperate to make sure that there is no reprisal, no escalation, and no killing in any part of the nation. The evil had been done, and two evils don’t make a right. So, there shouldn’t be retaliation.

“PFN condemns the killings that took place in Edo State, where people were mistaken for kidnappers and were attacked. It was uncalled for. Every Nigerian should be able to move freely in any part of the nation. In that wise, the killings by whoever did it are condemnable and PFN is joining others in Nigeria to condemn it,” he said.

“And we urge Governor Okpebholo and Governor Yusuf to cooperate and fish out the perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to other people. Lives are sacred. And people, no matter from which part of the nation they come from, should be able to move freely anywhere in Nigeria. We pray that the Lord will give them wisdom.

“The same measure with which the killing in Edo State was condemned and with which the criminals were being hunted, should be applied in other parts of the country where killings are happening like Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Ondo, Ekiti states as well as the Southeast,” the PFN president added.

Going further, the PFN president commended President Bola Tinubu for his pragmatic leadership and wished him a happy birthday.

“So far, so good, the president has been doing exceptionally well. He met so many challenges and messes on the ground. He has to clean up security, economic, political, health, and educational messes.

“He has been doing quite a good job. And we’re thankful to God for him. He’s a courageous and pragmatic man and an astute strategic politician. We are praying for him that the Lord will continue to stand by him, to help him lead Nigeria to greater heights.

“On behalf of over 86 million Pentecostals in Nigeria and across the Diaspora, we wish Mr. President a happy birthday. And we want to thank you for sending us a congratulatory message when we emerged for the second time as the National President,” the PFN said. (Punchng)

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