.Tasks churches on private security
.Gunmen invade Borno, Ondo, Niger
.Kidnap Ondo monarch, kill 4, set houses, classrooms ablaze
.As military airstrikes kill 27 terrorists in Borno hideouts
Nigeria’s worsening security crisis has assumed alarming proportions and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has declared a nationwide Black Sunday to honour victims of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime.
CAN also called on churches, Christian schools, hospitals, mission institutions and other faith-based organizations to strengthen security measures around their facilities and communities.
The symbolic observance, which coincided with this year’s Democracy Day celebrations, has resonated across the country as a powerful expression of collective grief and growing public frustration over a security situation that continues to claim lives, destroy communities and undermine public confidence in the ability of the state to protect its citizens.
CAN’s decision to declare a nationwide Black Sunday in honour of victims of insecurity comes at a time when terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and violent criminality remain persistent features of daily life across the country.
The observance, according to the Christian body, has evolved beyond a religious gesture into a national expression of grief, solidarity and a call for urgent action.
In a message to Christians nationwide, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the observance was intended to mourn the countless men, women, children, clergy, farmers, students and entire communities whose lives have been shattered by violence. The declaration, which coincided with Democracy Day celebrations, underscored the growing concern that insecurity has become one of the gravest threats to Nigeria’s stability and democratic aspirations.
“Today, we are not only mourning; we are speaking with one voice. Our nation is bleeding, and the Church cannot remain silent while innocent lives are lost and families live in fear,” the association declared.
The Christian body expressed solidarity with bereaved families, displaced persons, victims of attacks and others traumatized by insecurity, while praying for divine comfort, healing and justice.
Quoting from the Bible, CAN said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” adding that Christians across the country are united in prayer for those affected by the violence.
The association also urged governments at all levels to take urgent and sustained measures to address the security challenges confronting the nation.
“We call on the government on all levels to take urgent, decisive, and sustained measures to secure lives and property across our nation. The protection of citizens is a sacred responsibility entrusted to those in authority and must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” it said.
CAN further called on churches, Christian schools, hospitals, mission institutions and other faith-based organizations to strengthen security measures around their facilities and communities.
“Security awareness, preparedness for emergency situations, collaboration with local security networks, and vigilance at all times have become necessary responsibilities in the face of prevailing threats,” it stated.
The association urged Nigerians not to surrender to fear but to remain united in pursuit of peace, justice and national healing.
“Let this day deepen our compassion, strengthen our unity, and renew our commitment to peace, justice, and national healing. Let us continue to pray fervently for our nation, support affected families and communities, and refuse to surrender to fear,” CAN added.
The significance of CAN’s intervention becomes clearer when viewed against the backdrop of the country’s worsening security landscape. Over the past several years, banditry, terrorism and kidnapping have evolved from isolated criminal activities into a national emergency affecting virtually every region of the country.
Entire communities have been displaced, farmlands have been abandoned, businesses wiped off and thousands of families thrown into mourning, anguish and survival risk as criminal groups continue to exploit security gaps across vast swathes of the country.
According to the United Nation’s World Food Programme, insecurity in Nigeria has elevated hunger as marauding gunmen lay siege on farming communities, destroy farms, sack villages and farm settlements, and impede movement of goods and services across the economy.
Particularly disturbing has been the increasing targeting of schools, religious institutions and vulnerable communities.
Since 2011, the nation has witnessed repeated abductions of students from schools in several northern states, including the widely publicised kidnappings in Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara and Katsina states, where hundreds of schoolchildren were seized and held captive for ransom.
These attacks not only disrupted education but also deepened fears among parents and communities already struggling with insecurity.
Places of worship have also come under intense attacks as churches have repeatedly been invaded, with worshippers abducted during services and clergymen kidnapped or killed in various parts of the country.
Several priests and pastors have been victims of violent attacks, reinforcing concerns that criminal elements now operate with increasing audacity and little regard for traditional sanctuaries once considered safe.
The violence has also breached security protections granted the country’s most prominent citizens as high-profile kidnappings and assassinations have highlighted the indiscriminate nature of the security crisis.
Traditional rulers, senior government officials, business leaders and community figures have also increasingly become targets of criminal gangs seeking ransom payments or political leverage.
More troubling has been the growing number of attacks involving serving and retired military personnel, a development that many observers regard as evidence of the sophistication and boldness of armed groups operating across the country.
The recent killing of senior military officers, including serving and retired generals in separate attacks by terrorists and bandits, sent shockwaves through the nation and amplified the reality that even individuals with extensive security backgrounds are not immune from the reach of violent criminal networks.
Against this grim backdrop, CAN’s declaration of Black Sunday has assumed broader national significance.
The association noted that democracy is founded on the sanctity of human life, the rule of law and the protection of citizens, arguing that no meaningful democratic progress can be sustained in an atmosphere where communities live under constant threat.
“Democracy is founded on the sanctity and dignity of human life, the rule of law, justice, and the protection of citizens. Therefore, there can be no more fitting way to honour the sacrifices that birthed our democracy than by recommitting ourselves to building a nation where every Nigerian can live, work, worship, and travel in safety,” the association stated.
The declaration also came as fresh attacks continued to emerge from different parts of the country despite ongoing military operations and repeated assurances from government authorities.
Only days after President Bola Tinubu, in his Democracy Day address, ordered terrorists and their sponsors to surrender or face the full force of security action, fresh incidents of kidnapping, terrorism and banditry swept across several states.
In Ondo State, suspected kidnappers reportedly invaded Ode Oriya community in Owo Local Government Area and abducted the traditional ruler of the community, Adeniyi Adelana, from his residence.
According to local sources, the hoodlums stormed the community at about 8pm on Saturday and went to the residence of the 60-year-old community leader, whisking him away to an unknown destination in the bush.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the incident and announced the commencement of an extensive rescue operation involving police operatives and other security personnel.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, who confirmed the incident on Sunday, said the state command had commenced a rescue operation in the forest and suspected escape routes in an effort to secure the monarch’s release and apprehend those responsible.
“Upon receipt of the distress report, the Divisional Police Officer, B Division, Owo, immediately mobilized a combined team of police operatives and other security personnel to the scene. The area was swiftly secured, and a preliminary assessment of the crime scene was conducted as part of ongoing investigative efforts,” the PPRO said.
According to him, a comprehensive search-and-rescue operation was activated, with security operatives combing nearby forests, bush paths, and suspected escape routes “in a determined effort to track the movement of the kidnappers, secure the victim’s safe release, and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
“Tactical deployments have also been strengthened across the area and adjoining communities to enhance operational effectiveness,” he added.
Meanwhile, suspected Boko Haram terrorists have set ablaze a block containing five classrooms and a staff office at Government Day Secondary School, Kautikari Village, in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.
It was gathered that the incident occurred around 6:45 pm on Saturday.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, the Education Secretary of Chibok Local Government Area, Malah Kyari, said the affected section of the school is the junior secondary school.
“I can confirm that the insurgents attacked the Kautikari community yesterday, killed one person, and set ablaze one block containing five classrooms and an office at Kautikari JSS,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, also confirmed the incident, saying security forces repelled the attack.
He said, “They attacked Kautikari village, where they burnt two classrooms at Government Day Secondary School and killed one person, a man.
Also, the Niger State Police Command has confirmed the killing of three people by suspected bandits in Pissa village, Borgu Local Government Area.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said on Saturday that the bandits attacked the village at about 9:00 am.
He said some houses were set ablaze during the attack and added that the bandits were engaged by the military, but details of the encounter remained sketchy.
“The report received indicated that suspected bandits invaded Pissa village in Borgu LGA.
“Three persons were reportedly killed during the attack, and some houses were set ablaze.
“However, the military responded and engaged the terrorists, but further details are still sketchy,” he said.
The attack occurred after the state government and police denied the initial report of invasion that made school children in Minna, the Niger State capital, on Wednesday to hurriedly end school sessions and flee to their homes.
The pupils and students did not wait for closing time before taking to their heels over fears that bandits may have stormed their schools.
Parents who also heard of a possible invasion of Minna by terrorists made calls to the principals of their children’s schools to confirm whether the rumour was true and whether schools had been closed for the day.
But a statement by Abiodun at the time assured parents that the police were working round the clock to address the situation.
Meanwhile, the air component of Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai has neutralized 27 terrorists in separate air interdiction missions targeting terrorist enclaves in the Southern and Northern Tumbus areas of Borno.
An operational report of the Nigerian Air Force, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, indicated that the strikes were conducted following Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions across the theatre.
According to the report, air assets comprising Dragon and ISR platforms conducted an air interdiction mission at Dawoshe, a known terrorist enclave in the Southern Tumbus area, at about 12:40 am on June 10.
The report stated that terrorists’ vehicles were sighted during aerial surveillance and were subsequently engaged by the aircraft.
It added that “Battle Damage Assessment revealed that the vehicles were destroyed, while 12 terrorists were neutralised during the operation.”
The report further disclosed that the air component conducted a precision strike on terrorist positions at Metele in the Northern Tumbus area of Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno on the same day.
It stated that “post-strike assessments, supported by BDA and Human Intelligence (HUMINT), confirmed that 15 terrorists were neutralised during the operation.”
According to the report, the successful strikes dealt a significant blow to terrorist elements operating within the Lake Chad fringes and Tumbus hideouts.
It noted that the operations formed part of ongoing efforts to degrade terrorist capabilities, disrupt logistics networks, and deny insurgents freedom of action across the North-East theatre.
The report added that a total of 27 terrorists were neutralised in the two air operations conducted within the period under review.
It reiterated the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to sustaining offensive operations against terrorist strongholds until lasting peace and security are restored in the region.
Yet for many Nigerians, such battlefield victories provide only limited comfort when reports of fresh attacks continue to emerge from different parts of the country.
It is this disconnect between tactical military successes and the persistence of violence that has amplified public concern and given CAN’s Black Sunday declaration its powerful resonance.
More than a day of mourning, the observance has become a national reminder of the enormous human cost of insecurity. It speaks to the grief of bereaved families, the trauma of survivors, the fears of parents, the plight of displaced communities and the growing determination of citizens to demand lasting solutions.
CAN has, through the Black Sunday declaration, effectively transformed collective sorrow into a national appeal for urgent and decisive action, reminding both government and society that the restoration of peace and security remains one of the most pressing challenges confronting the nation today.
