By Samson Adeyanju
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has renewed calls for decisive federal and international action to stop what he described as “Christian genocide” in Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt.
Speaking at the opening of CAN’s Fourth Quarterly National Executive Council Meeting on Tuesday in Jos, Plateau State, Okoh said Christian communities have endured years of coordinated attacks, mass displacement and killings without justice.
He said holding the meeting in Plateau was symbolic, noting that the state “has wept bitterly and prayed fervently despite unrelenting insecurity.” He thanked Governor Caleb Mutfwang for supporting Christian communities.
Okoh said CAN would not be silent in the face of ongoing violence, warning that “lives have been cut short, churches razed, families uprooted, and entire villages levelled without closure.”
He confirmed that he recently visited displaced families in Bokkos and assured them of nationwide Christian solidarity.
The CAN President urged the Federal Government to secure vulnerable communities, return displaced persons to their homes and ensure accountability for attackers, stressing that prolonged displacement threatens national security.
While commending security agencies, he lamented that attacks have continued “unabated” and called on leaders to show sincerity and unity in addressing what he described as an existential threat to Christians.
Despite the grim situation, Okoh encouraged Christians to remain hopeful, saying, “This darkness shall not overcome the light of Christ.”
