The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to take urgent, decisive action to end the escalating wave of violence across the country, warning that the nation has reached a critical point where excuses are no longer acceptable.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, made the call on Wednesday during the opening of the 32nd Triennial General Assembly of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), held at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria in Wuse II, Abuja.
Okoh said the worsening insecurity—marked by killings, kidnappings and destruction of communities—demands an immediate and coordinated response from the Federal Government.
“The government has a constitutional, moral, and sacred responsibility to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians—without discrimination, without delay, and without excuses,” he said.
Speaking on the theme of the assembly, “Demand for Justice and Righteousness,” drawn from Amos 5:24, Okoh warned that Nigeria’s growing instability threatens the very foundation of the country.
He urged the CCN to continue supporting CAN’s push for national action, insisting that the Church must remain firm in demanding justice for communities devastated by violence.
Outlining key steps he expects the government to take, Okoh called for:
Strengthening of security institutions
Prosecution of perpetrators of violent crimes
Support for displaced families
Reconstruction of destroyed communities
Addressing underlying causes of insecurity
He stressed that Christian witness must go beyond prayers and church activities, emphasizing compassion, justice and moral responsibility.
“Our Christian witness today will not be judged merely by our prayers or magnificent sanctuaries, but by how faithfully we reflect Christ in our commitment to justice, compassion, and righteousness,” he said.
Okoh commended the Christian Council of Nigeria for its decades of service as Nigeria’s oldest ecumenical body, praising its contributions to unity, peace and national cohesion.
He reaffirmed CAN’s partnership with the Council and formally declared open the 32nd Triennial Assembly and the CCN’s 96th anniversary celebration, expressing hope that the deliberations would strengthen efforts to build a Nigeria where justice prevails and citizens live without fear.
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