***Says Nigeria’s Healing Demands Justice, Courage, and Collective Action
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed deep concern over what it described as the continued persecution and violent attacks against Christian communities, particularly in Northern Nigeria, calling on the Federal Government and security agencies to take urgent and transparent action to end the killings and protect all citizens.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN said that while the association acknowledges the government’s efforts to address insecurity, much more needs to be done to ensure equitable protection and justice for victims of religiously motivated violence.
“Many Christian communities in parts of Nigeria, especially in the North, have suffered severe attacks, loss of life, and the destruction of places of worship. These realities are painful reminders of the urgent need for government and security agencies to act decisively to protect every citizen, regardless of region,” the statement read.
Archbishop Okoh noted that CAN and the wider Christian community have consistently drawn national and international attention to the plight of Christians through documentation of incidents, advocacy to global institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), and engagement with international Christian bodies including the World Evangelical Alliance and the Lausanne Movement.
Despite these efforts, he lamented that the cries for justice and protection have often been met with “delay or denial,” stressing that the pain of Christian families torn apart by violence “must never be treated as mere statistics.”
CAN urged the government to ensure that perpetrators of such violence face the full weight of the law, warning that sustainable peace will only be achieved through justice and accountability.
“Nigeria’s healing will not come from denial or blame, but from courage the courage to face our collective failures, to grieve together, and to rebuild trust within our communities,” Archbishop Okoh said.
He appealed to Christian leaders across the country to continue to speak and act with wisdom and unity, adding that peace remains too fragile to be taken for granted.
