The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has declared Sunday, August 23, as a day of national prayer for the country to seek divine intervention. This is in view of the current surge of insecurity and violence across states of the country.

CAN noted this in a statement by its General Secretary, Daramola Bade, titled, ‘Insecurity: CAN declares August 23 as a Day for Collective Prayers for Nigeria’.

The Christian body stated that all churches in the country were expected to conform with the nationwide directive.

Bade said, “Calvary greetings to you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Please, be informed that there will be a collective prayer session, at least 15 minutes, for Nigeria on August 23, to tell God in one accord to have His way and do His will in Nigeria. This is borne out of the insecurity in Nigeria. All churches in Nigeria are to adhere to full compliance of this prayer. Thank you and God bless.”

It will be recalled that in the last one month, killings have been renewed in Southern Kaduna with harvest of deaths. For instance, On July 20, 21 persons were killed in Kukum Daji village in Kaura local government.  A day after this incidence, 11 others, including a village head and a six-year-old boy, were murdered in Gora Gan village, Zango-Kataf local government.

Available information also reveals that in just 72 hours, 23 Southern Kaduna natives were murdered in the most gruesome manner with knives, daggers and machetes by attackers.  Apart from the dead, the attacks have created distressing humanitarian crisis with many of the survivors living in the Internally Displaced Persons, IDP camps.

As the onslaught continued, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, had criticized the response of the federal and Kaduna State governments on the ongoing killings in Southern Kaduna. Samson Ayokunle, president, CAN had noted that the efforts of both federal and state governments are unacceptable.

To this effect, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna State chapter had earlier initiated a one month interdenominational prayer session every Sunday. The meeting which was tagged ‘Black Sunday’ was against the continued attacks and unjustified killings in Southern Kaduna.

The prayers, which held at the Evangelical Winning All Church (ECWA) Narayi High Cost attracted multitudes of Christians, with the worshippers all dressed in black attires.