The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security, warning that escalating killings, kidnappings and terrorist attacks have plunged the country into a deep national crisis.
The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of the National Church Denominational Leaders Summit held in Abuja on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
The summit, themed “The State of the Nation and the Way Forward,” brought together leaders of major Christian denominations, security experts, legal practitioners and church administrators from across the six geopolitical zones.
Speaking at the event, Christian leaders from across the country expressed concern over worsening insecurity and what they described as the inadequacy of current security arrangements to protect citizens.
They lamented that many communities remain under siege, with residents abducted from homes, workplaces and highways, farmers driven off their lands, and schools increasingly targeted by armed groups.
CAN, in the communique signed buy its president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, condemned what it described as “barbaric acts of murder, beheading, torture, rape, abduction and forced displacement” carried out by criminal and terrorist groups.
“CAN expresses profound alarm over the escalating violence across Nigeria, including killings, kidnappings, abductions, terrorist attacks and the destruction of communities,” it said.
CAN urged the federal government to take “urgent, decisive and measurable action” to halt the bloodshed and restore public confidence, stressing that the protection of lives and property is a core constitutional responsibility of the state.
CAN also called for an urgent review of the nation’s security architecture, improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency coordination, and greater accountability in the fight against terrorism, banditry, and violent crime.
It also renewed its call for the establishment of state police and other decentralised security structures, noting that localised policing would enhance intelligence gathering, rapid response and community-based security management.
The association further demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted schoolchildren, teachers and other citizens still in captivity, and urged security agencies to intensify nationwide rescue operations.
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In a major symbolic move, CAN declared June 12 to June 14, 2026, as a period of national mourning, and designated Sunday, June 14, as “Black Sunday” across churches nationwide in honour of victims of insecurity.
According to CAN, the observance is intended to honour the dead and express solidarity with families affected by violence.
CAN also called for the establishment of a comprehensive compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement programme for victims of terrorism, kidnapping, and other violent attacks.
“Families who have lost loved ones, persons who have suffered permanent injuries, and communities whose homes, schools, churches and livelihoods have been destroyed deserve justice, support and restoration,” it stated.
The association also expressed concern over rising political defections and early electioneering activities, warning that such distractions were unfolding while many communities continued to face violent attacks.
“Political leaders and parties should suspend divisive political distractions and focus national attention on restoring security, protecting citizens and rebuilding public confidence,” it added.
CAN further called on organised labour, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, student bodies, civil society organisations, and traditional institutions to join efforts to hold government accountable for safeguarding lives and property.
Reaffirming its commitment to national unity, peace and justice, the association urged Nigerians across ethnic, religious, and political divides to come together in response to what it described as a collective national emergency.
“The current security crisis constitutes a collective national emergency requiring urgent and coordinated action,” CAN said.
