2025 Christmas most peaceful in many years — CAN
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has described the recently concluded Christmas festive season in Nigeria as the most peaceful in recent years.
Okoh made this statement while speaking with newsmen on Friday, after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at their residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.
“I can tell you that this Christmas happened to be the first Christmas in many years that we are not woken up with phone call in the midnight to say that a church was attacked and it is a testimony we must share and we hope and pray that this will continue,” said Okoh.
He lauded Tinubu for this development, attributing the relative calm and peace recorded this festive season to Tinubu’s efforts at strengthening security across the country.
“We are seeing the renewed efforts and commitment to strengthen the security architecture and to ensure that Nigerians are going out in peace and coming back in peace.
“Of course there is still a lot to be done but we know that the President has started very well and we hope pray that this will be sustained.and we hope that maybe by next year we will be able to see visible results of what is being done now,” he added.
Nigeria has witnessed a series of coordinated attacks on Christians and churches in recent years. On December 25, 2022, gunmen attacked multiple Christian villages in the southern Kaduna region during Christmas celebrations, shortly after earlier killings in the area. There were multiple deaths as assailants returned to strike following funerals, creating fear and insecurity tied to the Christmas period.
Additionally, armed militants targeted Christian communities in Kwande County, Benue State, killing civilians on December 25, 2024, killing at least 11 Christians during church services and related attacks.
While the 2025 Christmas Day was relatively peaceful for many Christians in Nigeria, U.S. airstrikes were launched on ISIS-linked militant camps in Sokoto on Christmas Day, with U.S. officials framing the action as against militants responsible for the killings of Christians.
According to Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria authorised the US strike and provided the intelligence that led to the attack on terrorist targets within the country.
“Nigeria has remained consistent in its approach, which is to work with all partners that are committed to the fight against terrorism, irrespective of what religion, who the victims are, whether they are Muslims or Christians, and irrespective of what type of terrorism. So this is an ongoing process,” said Tuggar.
