The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity, citing growing threats to lives and property across the country. Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of CAN, made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja while presenting a communiqué from the association's National Church Denominational Leaders Summit 2026. The summit, themed "The State of the Nation and the Way Forward," convened senior church leaders to assess Nigeria's worsening security situation. Okoh emphasized that the call was not directed against President Bola Tinubu's administration but was a constitutional appeal for urgent government action to protect citizens. "We are talking to a government that still has a level of responsibility, and so they will listen," he said. "It has come to that point where the government will have to declare a state of emergency on security."
When asked about self-defence, Okoh acknowledged the instinct for self-preservation but urged adherence to legal limits. "It is a natural human instinct for one to defend himself. But what we are saying in CAN is that people and churches should be able to defend themselves, their properties and their homes within reasonable legal limits," he stated. The association plans continued media outreach and behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to pressure the government. Okoh noted that insecurity, once concentrated in the North and North-Central regions, is now spreading southward. He affirmed CAN's support for international assistance, particularly tactical cooperation between Nigeria and the United States. "If you are overwhelmed and people are coming to help you, you will not say no. You will welcome them, provided they follow the proper lines of engagement," Okoh said. "Our government is cooperating with the government of the United States of America and security forces to help dislodge these miscreants and terrorists."
CAN views the summit as the first in a series of actions aimed at pushing for national safety reforms.
CAN's call for a state of emergency signals a loss of confidence in the government's ability to contain insecurity without extraordinary measures. The fact that church leaders now openly discuss self-defence within legal limits shows how deeply the fear of violence has permeated civilian life. Archbishop Okoh's endorsement of U.S. tactical cooperation suggests the crisis has surpassed domestic containment capacity. If security threats are spreading southward as confirmed, the government's current strategies are failing to keep pace.
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