The Christian Reformed Church–Nigeria (CRC-N) has issued a stark warning that transcends typical security concerns, positioning the escalating attacks on educational institutions as a direct threat to Nigeria’s long-term development and national stability. In a comprehensive communiqué released following its 161st General Church Council in Takum, Taraba State, the church framed the crisis not merely as a security failure but as an existential challenge to the nation’s future.
The CRC-N’s alarm comes against a backdrop of what security analysts describe as a “systemic collapse” of educational security in northern Nigeria. Since 2014, over 1,500 students have been abducted in mass school attacks, creating what UNICEF calls “a lost generation” of learners. The church’s warning about boarding school closures represents more than temporary disruption—it signals the gradual erosion of formal education in regions where extremist groups actively target Western-style schooling as ideological opposition.
While acknowledging “notable improvements” in security under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the Synod’s call for “decisive and tangible actions” highlights the gap between political rhetoric and ground reality. This diplomatic critique underscores a crucial point: marginal security gains cannot compensate for the fundamental breakdown of protection for educational institutions, particularly those serving Christian communities in conflict zones.
The church’s condemnation of renewed attacks on Tiv communities in Takum reveals the interconnected nature of Nigeria’s security crises. These attacks follow a familiar pattern: communal violence creates security vacuums that armed groups exploit, leading to displacement, economic collapse, and ultimately, the targeting of “soft” institutions like schools. The CRC-N’s commendation of Taraba State Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas and military commanders for their swift intervention suggests that localized solutions, while necessary, cannot substitute for comprehensive federal security overhauls.
Signed by CRC-N President Rev. Dr. Isaiah Jirapye Magaji and General Secretary Rev. Joseph Agbu Ahmadu Garba, the communiqué makes the significant connection between educational attacks and what it describes as targeted violence against Christians. This perspective challenges official narratives that often frame school attacks as purely criminal enterprises, instead positioning them within broader patterns of religious persecution. The document notably references former U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s earlier comments on Christian persecution in Nigeria, internationalizing what many Nigerian officials treat as a domestic issue.
The CRC-N expressed particular concern that attacks persist despite Nigeria’s designation by the U.S. government as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations. This designation, which carries potential diplomatic and economic consequences, appears to have done little to curb the violence, raising questions about the effectiveness of international pressure in addressing deeply rooted security failures.
The church’s criticism of “political complacency” among public officials and its specific concerns about remarks by Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi reveal a crucial dimension of the crisis: the perceived normalization of violence through rhetoric that sometimes appears sympathetic to bandits. Gumi’s controversial interventions, which have included negotiating with kidnappers and suggesting amnesty programs, represent for many Christian communities a dangerous legitimization of criminality that specifically endangers their institutions.
Beyond security matters, the Synod’s resolutions reveal a church adapting to multiple challenges simultaneously. The decision to improve digital presence through multi-language Bible materials represents not just technological modernization but a strategic response to displacement and diaspora creation resulting from insecurity. Similarly, the restructuring of Children’s Sunday School into age-based classes suggests an institution preparing for long-term engagement with youth in an increasingly complex security environment.
As Christmas and New Year approach, the church’s greetings to Nigerian Christians carry particular weight in this context. The call for recommitment to “justice, fairness, and virtuous living” transcends seasonal goodwill, serving instead as a moral framework for navigating what the CRC-N clearly views as a period of national testing.
The council meeting, bringing together leaders from 20 Regional Church Councils alongside women’s fellowship representatives and clergy, demonstrated the CRC-N’s organizational capacity to articulate a coherent response to multidimensional crises. This institutional strength positions the church as a significant voice in Nigeria’s complex security landscape, one that connects local suffering to national policy failures and international religious freedom concerns.