The Archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN), Most Rev. Musa Panti Filibus, has urged the Federal Government to take seriously the recent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the United States, warning that the label signals heightened global scrutiny of the nation’s human-rights and religious-freedom conditions.
Speaking at the Church’s 200th General Church Council in Numan, Adamawa State, Filibus said the government should view the CPC designation as an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to justice and the protection of all citizens, rather than as a reprimand.
He raised alarm over the growing insecurity across the country, referencing the abduction of worshippers in Niger State, the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Kebbi, and a rising wave of attacks and killings nationwide.
According to him, the incidents are “a painful reminder of the vulnerability of citizens and the urgent need for government to uphold its constitutional duty of protecting life and property.”
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Filibus faulted what he described as the Federal Government’s “disturbing inactiveness and slow response” to repeated violence, cautioning that persistent silence and inadequate action could entrench criminality.
“Nigeria cannot continue on this path where innocent lives are taken daily without decisive intervention. Government must rise to the occasion,” he warned.
During the session, the 200th General Church Council reaffirmed the LCCN’s commitment to promoting peace and justice, strengthening internal governance, expanding missionary outreach, supporting victims of violence and displacement, and collaborating with Christian bodies, civil society groups and government agencies to foster national stability.
The council opened on a somber note following the death of Archbishop Emeritus, Most Rev. Nemuel Abubakar Babba, who passed away on the morning the meeting commenced. Delegates observed a minute of silence in his honour.
