The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has declared a three-day national mourning period from June 12 to June 14 to honour victims of violent attacks, kidnappings and banditry across the country, as concerns mount over Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
CAN also designated June 14 as “Black Sunday” to be observed in churches nationwide in solidarity with families affected by the persistent wave of violence.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by the President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, while presenting a communiqué issued at the end of the National Church Denominational Leaders Summit in Abuja.
The summit, held at the National Christian Centre under the theme, “The State of the Nation and the Way Forward,” brought together senior church leaders and delegates to assess the country’s challenges and chart a path forward.
Okoh expressed concern over what he described as escalating violence across several parts of Nigeria, citing recent killings, kidnappings and destruction of communities in Oyo, Ogun, Borno, Kwara and Kogi states.
He urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency on national security and adopt stronger measures to curb the bloodshed.”Communities are under attack; citizens are kidnapped from their homes and places of work, travelers are abducted on highways, and farmers are driven from their lands,” Okoh said.
He added that innocent citizens, including women and children, continued to be killed, injured, displaced and subjected to brutal attacks by criminal and terrorist groups. The CAN president criticised what he described as the government’s recurring reliance on conciliatory rhetoric in responding to security threats, calling instead for decisive and result-driven action.
He urged authorities to undertake a comprehensive review of the country’s security architecture, improve intelligence gathering, strengthen coordination among security agencies and ensure greater accountability in security operations. Okoh also endorsed the establishment of state police, urging lawmakers to accelerate constitutional and legislative processes required to decentralise policing.
The Christian leader called for the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted schoolchildren, teachers and other citizens held captive by armed groups.
He urged the government to establish compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement programmes for victims of terrorism and families affected by violence.
Okoh also encouraged churches across the country to expand humanitarian assistance, trauma support and peace-building initiatives for displaced persons within their communities.
The CAN president warned that premature political activities, including electioneering and party defections, were distracting attention from urgent national security concerns.
He called on political leaders, labour unions, civil society organisations and traditional institutions to work together in holding government accountable and promoting national stability.