CAN Declares Three-Day National Mourning, Black Sunday; Atiku Calls Muslim Groups to Join Protest

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has declared three days of national mourning from June 12 to June 14, with June 14 set aside as “Black Sunday,” to protest the country’s worsening security crisis.

The declaration came at the end of CAN’s National Church Denominational Leaders Summit in Abuja. Archbishop Daniel Okoh read the communique calling on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security.

CAN condemned what it called “barbaric acts of murder, beheading, torture, rape, abduction and forced displacement” across Nigeria — pointing to mass abductions in Oyo, Ogun, Borno, Benue, Kogi and other states, and the murder of a teacher during last month’s Oyo school abductions.

The body also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted schoolchildren, teachers and citizens, and urged the creation of state police as a long-term solution.

Atiku Joins the Call

Former Vice President and 2027 ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has backed CAN’s protest, accusing President Tinubu of a “360-degree failure” on security.

“I align with the concern and sympathies of the Church in Nigeria over the security of the lives of Nigerians,” Atiku said in a statement. “I enjoin other faith organisations, especially of the Muslim block, to lend their voices to this wake-up call.”

Atiku urged Muslim groups to join CAN in pressing the government for action. “On behalf of the political opposition whom Tinubu has ignored as well as the Nigerian people, I urge Tinubu to listen to this urgent call from CAN and diligently ponder his courses of action beyond rhetoric, at least for his remaining months in office.”

The call for interfaith unity on the security question is unusual in recent Nigerian politics — a sign of how deeply public frustration with the government’s handling of the crisis has cut.

Sources: Channels TV, Arise TV, Premium Times, The Sun