More than two weeks since the abduction of over 100 school children in three schools in Oyo State, Southwest, plus another three schools in Borno State, Northeast, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed deep shock over various acts of terrorism across the country, calling on the government to rise to its responsibility to protect lives and livelihoods.
The Christian Association expressed concern in a communique issued out on 2 June 2026 after the National Church Denominational Leaders Summit 2026 held in Abuja and signed by the CAN president, His Emminence Archbishop Daniel Okoh.
CAN president, His Emminence Archbishop Daniel Okoh.
CAN “lamented the loss of countless lives, the destruction of livelihoods.”
The Christian Association “lamented the loss of countless lives, the destruction of livelihoods, the displacement of communities and the deep trauma inflicted on victims and their families.”
According to the communique, “The Summit took place against the backdrop of worsening insecurity, economic hardship, declining public confidence in state institutions, growing social fragmentation, and increasing threats to the lives, dignity and well-being of Nigerians.”
It also disclosed that during the proceedings of the summit, “Participants deliberated extensively on the challenges confronting the nation and the Church and resolved to speak with one voice in defence of truth, justice, human dignity and the sanctity of life.”
Expressing concern over the delicate nature of the Nigerian State, the Christian leaders “warned that the continuing assault on human life, freedom and dignity poses a serious threat to national stability, unity and development.”
Deliberating on challenges affecting the Nigerian State, the Christian body “expressed grave concern over the deteriorating security situation across the country”, recalling the “recent incidents of mass abductions, killings and attacks in Oyo, Ogun, Borno, Kwara, Kogi and other states.”
“The protection of lives and property remains [government’s] foremost constitutional responsibility.”
In the communique, CAN also noted with particular concern, the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers, attacks on farming communities, continued terrorist activities in parts of the North-East, and the spread of kidnapping and violent crime into areas previously considered relatively safe.
The Christian body also condemned in the strongest terms the barbaric acts of murder, beheading, torture, rape, abduction and forced displacement being perpetrated against innocent citizens, and called on the Federal Government to declare a State of Emergency on Security across the country.
In a resolution at the church leaders’ summit, the Christian Association reminded “the Federal Government that the protection of lives and property remains its foremost constitutional responsibility and demanded urgent, decisive and measurable action to halt the bloodshed and restore public confidence.”
With regard to the security architecture of the nation, the Christian Leaders called for a comprehensive review of the nation’s security architecture and for the immediate acceleration of constitutional and legislative processes leading to the establishment of State Police and other lawful decentralised security structures capable of improving intelligence gathering, rapid response and local accountability.
June 14, 2026, is designated as BLACK SUNDAY to honour of victims of violence
The Christian Association of Nigeria declared Friday, June 12, 2026, as the commencement of three days of national mourning, to continue through Sunday, June 14, 2026.
It further designated Sunday, June 14, 2026, as BLACK SUNDAY across churches in Nigeria in honour of victims of violence and in solidarity with families affected by insecurity.
The summit of the Christian leaders was attended by leaders of Christian denominations and blocs across Nigeria, including representatives of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Christian Council of Nigeria, Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Organisation of African Instituted Churches, TEKAN/ECWA.
Other participants at the summit were member bodies of CAN, alongside church administrators, legal practitioners, security experts and Christian leaders from across the six geopolitical zones.
Recall that on 15 May 2026, a terrorist group launched a coordinated attack on three schools in the Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota areas: Baptist Nursery and Primary School (Yawota), Community Grammar/High School (Esiele/Ahoro-Esinele) and L.A. Primary School (Ahoro-Esinele) in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, Southwestern Nigeria.
In the coordinated attack, terrorists kidnapped 39 schoolchildren, including toddlers as young as two years old, 7 teachers, including a school principal and one teacher was killed during the initial ambush, and a second teacher was tragically executed in captivity shortly after.
Meanwhile, on the same 15 May 2026 an undisclosed terrorist group launched a coordinated attack on three schools: Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School, and State Universal Basis Education Board (SUBEB) Secondary School in Mussa town, Borno State.
In the Mussa town coordinated attack in Borno State, more than 50 school children, including nursery-age toddlers as young as two to five years old were abducted directly from their classrooms.
NANS, regional teachers’ associations, demand immediate release of the children
Members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and regional teachers’ associations have held demonstrations in Maiduguri, walking out of classrooms to demand a comprehensive security overhaul and the immediate release of the children.
Investigative journalist, Oluwa Tosin, in a protest, demanding the release of the school children and teachers.
The recurrence of mass school abductions and kidnappings remains a critical and fundamental national security crisis in Nigeria, threatening the education and safety of millions of schoolchildren, since the 2024 kidnappings of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok.
Consequently, criminal networks, jihadist factions, and heavily armed bandits frequently exploit vulnerable learning institutions and kidnap dozens of students.
Reacting to the ailing security architecture regarding schools in Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on 2 June 2026 launched coordinated nationwide solidarity protests and strikes to condemn the incessant mass abductions of school children and teachers across the country, calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to act quickly and save the children.
