The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Nigerian government to tackle the underlying causes of insecurity and bring justice to victims of violent crimes across the country.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, delivered the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during the 32nd Triennial General Assembly of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), which coincided with the council’s 96th anniversary. The conference was themed “God’s Demand for Justice and Righteousness,” inspired by the biblical text Amos 5:24.
Okoh said the state carries a constitutional and moral duty to safeguard citizens, urging authorities to reinforce security measures, especially in vulnerable communities.
“The government must strengthen security architecture and bring perpetrators of crimes to justice,” he said. He also challenged the Church to speak boldly against injustice, inequality and corruption, describing the Church as a defender of the voiceless.
In his remarks, Rev. Adams Mutuwa, Chairman of CCN’s FCT chapter, acknowledged the country’s current hardship and security concerns, encouraging delegates to approach the gathering with a “faith that overcomes”. He said the Church’s hope rests in God’s sovereignty rather than “the transient times of the world”.
Quoting 2 Corinthians 4:8–10, Mutuwa reminded participants of the Christian call to endure difficulty without surrendering hope.
Similarly, Most Rev. Michael Akinwale, Archbishop of the Methodist Archdiocese of Abuja and head of the CCN North Central Zone, urged the Church to “speak truth to power”, stressing that justice must be demanded wherever wrongdoing thrives. He described the CCN as a leading voice for the voiceless, committed to Christian integrity, national unity, good governance and social transformation.
Akinwale encouraged the faithful not to “shy away from the truth” but to remain steadfast in defending justice.
