Abuja: The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has declared a three-day national mourning period from June 12 to June 14 to honor victims of violent attacks, mass abductions, and banditry across the country. The apex Christian body has also designated June 14 as ‘Black Sunday’ across all Churches to show solidarity with families affected by the ongoing security crisis.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, made this announcement in Abuja while reading a communiqué issued at the end of the National Church Denominational Leaders Summit. The summit, held at the National Christian Centre and themed ‘The State of the Nation and the Way Forward,’ brought together top Church leaders, block leaders, and delegates to review the country’s challenges prayerfully. Okoh expressed concern over the escalating violence, citing incidents of killings, kidnappings, and the destruction of communities in states such as Oyo, Ogun, Borno, Kwara, and Kogi.
He urged the Federal Govern
ment to declare a state of emergency on national security to halt the ongoing bloodshed. Okoh highlighted the dire situation where communities are under attack, citizens are kidnapped from their homes and workplaces, travelers are abducted on highways, and farmers are driven from their lands. Innocent people are killed, maimed, displaced, and sometimes brutally beheaded by criminal and terrorist elements.
The CAN President criticized the recurring use of conciliatory rhetoric by senior government officials in response to grave security threats and called for a proactive, result-oriented approach. He reminded the government that protecting lives and property is the primary responsibility of any administration.
Consequently, the Cleric demanded a comprehensive review of the nation’s security architecture, improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency cooperation, and greater operational accountability. He also supported decentralizing security operations and called for accelerating constitutional and
legislative processes to establish state police.
The CAN President also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted school children, teachers, and other citizens currently held captive by criminal elements. On the humanitarian front, Okoh called for establishing a comprehensive compensation, rehabilitation, and resettlement program for victims of terrorism and families who have lost livelihoods or loved ones.
He urged individual Churches across the federation to strengthen internal support systems by providing humanitarian assistance, trauma care, and peace-building initiatives for displaced persons within their localities. Okoh lamented that premature electioneering, political calculations, and party defections were taking center stage among the political class while many communities remained under siege.
He advised political leaders and parties to shun divisive distractions and prioritize national security. The Cleric called on organized labor groups, civil society organizations, and
traditional institutions to collaborate in holding the government accountable. Okoh reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to national unity, peace, and justice, stressing that while prayers would be intensified, they must be matched with sustained civic engagement and advocacy.