ABUJA – The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, on Tuesday said the Church has no objection to the rising international scrutiny over attacks on Christian communities, insisting that global pressure may be the push the Federal Government needs to finally act.

 

 

 

Speaking to national Christian leaders at the gathering, Okoh said the world is becoming increasingly alarmed by the scale and pattern of violence targeting Christian communities in Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt.

 

According to him, Nigeria cannot afford to ignore this growing international concern.

 

“CAN has spoken clearly and courageously on this matter, and we stand unwaveringly by our position that there is Christian genocide in Nigeria,” Archbishop Okoh stated.

 

He referenced his recent trip to Bokkos, where he and other CAN officials met with displaced families. Okoh said the destruction they witnessed highlighted why global attention has intensified! entire communities uprooted, homes destroyed, and lives altered permanently.

 

“We declare with one united voice: You are not forgotten. You are not abandoned. The Body of Christ stands firmly with you,” CAN said.

 

Archbishop Okoh stressed that years of killings, kidnappings and razed villages have gone unpunished, creating a climate of impunity that has now caught the eye of the international community.

 

He said while it is painful that Nigeria is attracting global attention for such reasons, CAN sees value in any pressure that compels the government to act.

 

“Although we are pained that Nigeria is being spotlighted for such grievous reasons, if international attention is what is required to spur decisive governmental action to protect lives and bring lasting peace, then we, the Christian community in Nigeria, welcome it,” the CAN President stated.

 

He reaffirmed that CAN will keep pushing for justice and accountability, both within and outside Nigeria, until vulnerable Christian communities receive adequate protection.

 

“We will continue to demand justice.

 

We will continue to call for accountability. We will continue to defend the vulnerable. We will continue to advocate for peace and unity in Nigeria,” he said.

 

Archbishop Okoh also called for the immediate resettlement of internally displaced persons, warning that keeping people in camps indefinitely is dangerous for the country’s long-term stability.

 

“No individual should ever be persecuted or killed on account of their faith,” CAN declared.

 

He urged Christian leaders to remain united, noting that the rest of the world is carefully watching Nigeria’s response to the crisis.