The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, has criticised the proposed legislation seeking to prohibit preaching and unsolicited religious activities in commercial buses, declaring that Christians would continue to evangelise despite the measure.

Oke, who spoke during a church sermon on Sunday, vowed that members of the PFN would resist any attempt to enforce the proposed law, insisting that preaching the gospel remained a divine mandate that could not be overridden by legislation.

The cleric said Christians would continue to preach in buses and other public places, citing the biblical instruction to spread the gospel across the world.

“Make all the stadiums in Nigeria become prisons; if you want to enforce that law, we are coming. We will break that law. Our Master told us to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” Oke said.

“You sit somewhere there, and you are saying we shouldn’t preach in buses. We will preach in buses! We will preach everywhere! Because you are making evil decrees. We will rather obey God than man.”

The PFN president accused lawmakers of prioritising restrictions on religious preaching while failing to adequately address insecurity and violent crimes across the country.

According to him, government authorities should focus on tackling killings, kidnappings, banditry, rape and other criminal activities rather than targeting people preaching what he described as a message of peace and transformation.

“You don’t go after killers; you are not going after those beheading; you are not going after rapists; you are not going after kidnappers. You are not going after bandits who are unlawfully carrying arms,” he said.

“You are going after us who are preaching the message of peace that changes people’s lives. We wouldn’t listen to you. You are not God.”

Oke also issued a strong warning to those promoting the proposed legislation, insisting that the PFN would oppose any attempt to restrict gospel preaching.

His comments come amid growing reactions from Christian leaders over provisions relating to preaching and hawking in commercial vehicles.

The Senate had earlier clarified that the restriction on preaching and hawking inside commercial vehicles was not a new provision introduced under the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission Establishment Act.

The clarification followed public criticism after reports emerged that the Senate passed the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which provides for a N50,000 fine for anyone convicted of hawking, trading or preaching inside a commercial vehicle.

In a statement issued by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs in the Office of the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate said the controversial provisions had existed in Nigerian law since 2007 and were already contained in the existing FRSC Act and the National Road Traffic Regulations.

“The Senate has duly noticed public concerns on the purported proscription of preaching and hawking in a commercial vehicle under the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, No. 22, 2007,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, several prominent Christian clerics have also expressed concerns over the proposed restriction.

The founder of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr Paul Enenche, has maintained that evangelism is a core Christian obligation and warned against policies that could restrict peaceful gospel preaching in public places.

Similarly, the Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has repeatedly described evangelism as central to the Christian faith and urged believers to remain committed to soul-winning despite perceived opposition.

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has also consistently encouraged Christians to share their faith peacefully and in line with biblical teachings.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said that state governors and local government chairmen, rather than the Federal Government, should be held responsible for kidnappings occurring in their domains.

Bwala made the assertion on Wednesday during his appearance on The Morayo Afolabi-Brown Show, where he was grilled on the Federal Government’s response to the ongoing abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State and the broader insecurity challenges across the country.

“Every kidnapping and abduction that takes place in any state of Nigeria, hold that governor responsible. All the kidnappings have taken place in local government,” he said.

The presidential aide pointed to the federal Save the School Initiative, under which funds were provided to states for perimeter fencing, early warning systems, and other security measures in schools. He challenged citizens to demand accountability from their governors on the utilisation of the money.

“There was this thing called the Save the School Initiative, in which monies were given to states to create perimeter fencing, early warning signs and all of those checks in schools. Ask your governor where that money went to,” Bwala said.

He further alleged that many local governments are not receiving funds directly allocated to them. Citing Oyo State as an example, he noted: “In three local governments in Oyo, I said this local government has 600 million coming here every month, and that’s how it is across Nigeria.”

Bwala argued that if such funds were released directly to local government chairmen, they could be deployed for maternal healthcare, basic education, local security through vigilantes, and welfare for the elderly.

The presidential spokesman criticised what he described as a passive culture among Nigerians, urging citizens to take greater responsibility for demanding accountability at the grassroots level.

“It’s only in Nigeria that citizens wait for manna to come from heaven. In all other countries of the world, citizens take their destinies in their hands,” he said.

Bwala explained that the current constitutional framework limits the President’s direct control over state governors. “The unfortunate part of the democracy we are practising today is that it does not place the President as a head boy or prefect of the governors,” he noted.

He contrasted this with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s approach, saying President Tinubu, as a democrat, would not resort to extra-constitutional measures and could only urge governors to act responsibly.

Bwala called on Nigerians to organise town hall meetings at the local government level and engage the media to demand transparency on funds that are not being remitted to local authorities. He emphasised that sustained public pressure would be more effective than isolated complaints.

Responding to questions about the Oyo schoolchildren and teachers who have spent over 50 days in captivity, Bwala said the Federal Government’s primary concern remains their safe and unharmed release.

“The number one responsibility of government in a hostage-taking situation is to rescue them and rescue them alive. If you use force carelessly, you may end up jeopardising the lives of the people that are kidnapped,” he explained.

Tragedy struck in Kogi State as a 22-year-old teacher at Brains Minds Nursery and Primary School, Ugbamaka-Igah, in Olamaboro Local Government Area, Maryam Usman, allegedly died after being assaulted by the father of one of her pupils over disciplinary action taken against the child.

The incident reportedly began on June 17, when the late teacher disciplined a pupil for misconduct in school.

During the process, the pupil allegedly fell and sustained an arm injury.

Following the incident, the pupil’s father, identified as Ishaq Abdullahi, allegedly stormed Maryam’s residence with two other individuals and assaulted her.

Sources said she was attacked again later the same day while on her way to the mosque.

According to the deceased’s brother, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Maryam was assaulted again on June 18 by additional individuals, leaving her severely injured and unconscious.

“She was taken to a clinic and later transferred to a hospital in Okpo, but her condition continued to deteriorate. Sadly, she died on June 25, 2026, at about 5:00 a.m.,” he said.

He called on the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure justice.

“We believe the repeated assaults contributed to her death and we want those responsible to be brought to justice,” he added.

A community elder, Drisu, disclosed that the deceased had family ties with the family of the disciplined pupil, noting that several meetings had been held between both families in an effort to resolve the matter.

He further revealed that, angered by Maryam’s death, members of her family allegedly invaded and vandalised the residence of the pupil’s father.

The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the incident and said investigations were ongoing.

Responding to enquiries, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said preliminary investigations showed that on June 18, 2026, Abdullahi Ishaq, accompanied by two women, went to Brains Minds Nursery and Primary School in Ugbamaka and assaulted Maryam Usman for disciplining a pupil.

“The victim sustained serious injuries and was initially treated at a hospital in Ugbamaka before being referred to Iko-Ojo Hospital, Okpo, for further medical attention. She, however, passed away on June 25, 2026,” the police spokesperson said.

Afusat added that police operatives visited the scene and the deceased’s residence, where necessary documentation was carried out.

“Arrangements are ongoing to convey the corpse to the General Hospital, Ankpa, for medical examination and autopsy. The suspects fled before the arrival of the police, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend them. Upon their arrest, the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a discreet and comprehensive investigation,” the statement added.