Trump, Tinubu, Adeboye and the death of faith, by Kunle Awosiyan
I once stumbled on a visual in which former U.S. President Ronald Reagan spoke about faith. He told the story of a man who fell from a cliff but managed to cling to a small branch. Dangling between life and death, the man shouted, “Is anyone up there who can help me?”
A voice replied, “If you have faith, let go.”
The story ended in laughter, but it raised a profound question, what is the potency of faith when reality stares us in the face?
Recently, I watched a video of a retired Nigerian soldier who threatened Donald Trump with mosquitoes, yes, mosquitoes, warning that malaria would decimate any American soldier who dared invade Nigeria. He argued that while Nigeria may lack drones or nuclear weapons, it possesses nature’s own army of disease vectors. To him, faith could be weaponised.
Meanwhile, at the November Holy Ghost Congress, Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God reflected on faith and governance. He spoke of his private counselling sessions with past Nigerian leaders, without naming them and noted that his advice on security had often gone unheeded.
Adeboye urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expand his anti-terrorism strategy, not only against militants and insurgents, but also against those who fund and arm them.
Shortly after the Congress, the revered cleric reportedly warned the government to act swiftly and wisely in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of invasion. He observed that if such an invasion were to occur, world powers like China, Russia, and Britain would issue condemnations but never intervene.
He spoke gently, as always, but his message carried more realism than optimism. Earlier, he had advised online viewers to switch channels, clarifying that he was not speaking for the church but as a concerned Nigerian citizen. His humility underscored a sobering truth that faith may no longer be enough to keep nations safe.
If Jesus were to speak on Nigeria’s situation today, would He threaten invasion like Trump? Or would He remind Christians of the trials that come with His name?
Trump’s rhetoric seems to recast salvation in the language of force. Where faith once guided believers through unseen battles, power now defines deliverance.
But history reminds us that even God’s deliverance of Israel was not always by faith alone, sometimes by the sword. Faith, in its truest form, is not passive; it is often tested through struggle.
In the end, perhaps the death of faith is not in disbelief, but in the moment we begin to rely more on war than on wisdom, when political messiahs replace divine patience, and when belief becomes a tool of power rather than a bridge to peace.
A few days ago, President Tinubu held a closed-door meeting with the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the State House, Abuja.
According to officials, the engagement was aimed at strengthening peace, unity, and social trust amid renewed attention on Nigeria’s management of interfaith relations.
The meeting came days after a similar session between the President and Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, signalling what observers see as heightened consultations between the Presidency and major faith leaders.
To Adeboye, Nigeria’s situation demands more than meetings. It requires quick and decisive action. He called on the government to prevail on Trump to hold off for at least 100 days, while giving the service chiefs 90 days to clear the mess or resign.
