The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the continued attacks on Christian communities across the country, which have claimed many lives.
In a statement, the CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, urged security agencies to act swiftly to curb the violence and protect citizens from further harm.
“These tragic realities are a painful reminder of the urgent need for government and security agencies to act decisively in protecting all Nigerians, irrespective of region or faith,” Okoh said.
His remarks followed accusations by United States Senator Ted Cruz, who alleged that the Nigerian government was “ignoring and even enabling the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”
Cruz further claimed that Christians in Nigeria were being targeted and killed for their faith by Islamist extremists, and that many were being forced to live under sharia and blasphemy laws. He said it was long overdue to impose sanctions on Nigerian officials allegedly complicit in such actions.
Responding to these claims, CAN stated: “Our greatest concern is that these repeated cries for justice and protection are too often met with silence, denial, or delay.
“We therefore call once again on the government and security agencies to take immediate, transparent, and equitable action to end the killings, protect vulnerable Christian communities from displacement, and ensure that all perpetrators face the full weight of the law. The pain and suffering of Christian families torn apart by violence must not be reduced to statistics.”
CAN noted that it has, over the years, worked relentlessly to draw both national and international attention to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
“The Association has developed mechanisms to document incidents of religiously motivated killings, engaged with global partners, written to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and collaborated with international Christian bodies such as the World Evangelical Alliance and the Lausanne Movement. These ongoing efforts reflect CAN’s unwavering commitment to justice, peace, and the protection of Christian communities under threat,” the statement added.