ABUJA – The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has delivered a forceful demand for the Federal Government to fulfill its constitutional duty to protect citizens, declaring that the nation “must no longer tolerate excuses” in the face of escalating violence.
Speaking Wednesday at the opening of the 32nd Triennial General Assembly of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), Archbishop Okoh asserted that the government’s responsibility to safeguard lives and property is both a moral imperative and a sacred trust.
“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,” Okoh told assembled church leaders and dignitaries.
The CAN President framed his address around the assembly’s theme, “Demand for Justice and Righteousness,” drawn from the biblical book of Amos, describing it as a prophetic response to Nigeria’s current crisis of “injustice, inequality, corruption, moral decay, and deepening insecurity.”
He outlined four urgent expectations from the government: strengthening security in vulnerable communities, bringing perpetrators of violent crimes to justice, supporting displaced families, and decisively addressing the root causes of insecurity.
Calling for unified action among Christian bodies, Archbishop Okoh urged the CCN to stand with CAN in demanding decisive government intervention. “At this critical moment, we must be united more than ever,” he stated. “We must stand together as one body, with one voice, pursuing one mission—the protection of the sanctity of human life.”
The religious leader challenged churches to move beyond ritual and actively defend the voiceless, noting that the Christian witness would be judged by its practical commitment to justice and compassion.
Follow NewsFocus for continuing coverage of Nigeria’s security situation and religious leadership responses.
