By Clement Emmanuel
US-based Pastor Apostle Courage Igene, General Overseer of All Nations Church, has expressed deep concern over the worsening insecurity, urging the federal government to deal decisively with banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.
In a widely circulated awareness flyer and statement, the cleric declared in the “strongest possible terms” his condemnation of the “heinous, atrocious, villainous, and monstrous activities” currently plaguing Nigerian communities.
“Enough is enough”, Apostle Courage Igene stated, describing the message as a cry from grieving families, traumatized communities, and a nation tired of burying its children.
He further condemned three categories of criminal actors fueling Nigeria’s security crisis. He accused bandits of terrorizing villages and highways while attacking farmers and travelers with impunity.
He also took a swipe at kidnappers for targeting schools, farms, and homes for ransom and leaving families devastated, even as he blamed terrorists for bombing, burning, and abducting innocent civilians in coordinated attacks.
The cleric described these acts as “monstrous” because they deliberately target the most vulnerable: children in school uniforms, teachers in classrooms, and farmers on their land.
The flyer features an image of schoolchildren with bowed heads, which he called a visual metaphor for what he termed “Nigeria’s future being stolen one abduction at a time.”
He noted that insecurity is no longer statistics but has names, faces, and empty desks in classrooms.
Speaking as a concerned citizen and diaspora leader, Apostle Igene presented three urgent demands to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He called for the declaration of a state of emergency on insecurity in the land, arguing that insecurity has paralyzed travel, farming, education, and business across the country.
According to him, a state of emergency would unlock emergency powers, funding, and a coordinated national response to treat the crisis with the urgency it deserves.
He also urged the federal government to implement state police across the nation as soon as possible. Citing Nigeria’s size and diversity, he said centralized policing has proven inadequate and that state police would empower governors and local communities to secure their people, respond faster to threats, and leverage local intelligence that federal structures often miss.
Finally, he demanded that the government use all military resources to bring back abducted school children and teachers, insisting that every child and teacher abducted by “evil terrorists” must be rescued without ransom or negotiation that could embolden criminals.
He urged the deployment of intelligence, air power, special forces, and every asset of the Nigerian Armed Forces until every child is home.
He concluded his statement with three declarations reflecting what Apostle Igene called “the heartbeat of the nation.”
He declared “Bring Back Our Children,” insisting that education must not be a death sentence and that schools must be made safe again.
He further stated: “Protect Nigerian Lives,” citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
He added, “This Nonsense Must Stop,” an emphatic rejection of impunity, failed security strategies, and political excuses.
Apostle Igene stressed that his call is patriotic, not partisan. The green and white colours of the Nigerian flag form the backdrop of the flyer, which he said symbolizes how grief and fear have united Nigerians across ethnic and regional lines. “This is not politics. This is survival,” the statement said.
“Nigerians are not asking for favours. We are demanding our constitutional right to life and security. The blood of innocent citizens, students, and teachers cries out from the ground. Silence is complicity. Delay is death,” he stated.
He called on the Presidency to act immediately and decisively on the three demands, urged the National Assembly to pass enabling laws for state police without delay, and asked the Nigerian Armed Forces and security agencies to mobilize all resources for rescue operations.
He also appealed to all Nigerians to keep speaking, keep praying, and keep demanding accountability until “Bring Back Our Children” becomes reality, not just a slogan.
However, the cleric warned that “The time for press releases without action is over. The time for action is now.”
Apostle Igene leads All Nations Church in the United States and has been vocal on African socio-political issues.
His intervention adds to mounting pressure from civil society, religious leaders, and diaspora groups urging the federal government to overhaul Nigeria’s security architecture amid rising abductions and attacks on rural communities.