CAN Chairman Rev John Hayab urges President Tinubu to confront terrorist sponsors, stress firm leadership, citizen accountability, and end religious politicisation

Rev John Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and Abuja, has warned that Nigeria will not defeat terrorism as long as political loyalty shields the powerful sponsors of violence.

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In an exclusive interview, Hayab urged President Bola Tinubu to move beyond pursuing gunmen and instead arrest, prosecute, and expose individuals funding and protecting terrorists, insisting that supporting a leader while the nation suffers is not loyalty, but foolishness.

Hayab dismissed arguments framing the conflict as a Christian-Muslim issue, describing them as dangerous distractions.

He emphasised that both faiths are now victims, supporting former US President Donald Trump’s hard-line stance on terrorism and advocating for strong international cooperation, active citizen accountability, and honest religious condemnation of extremists as essential to ending the bloodshed.

“The Christian-Muslim argument is a diversion. Are there terrorists in Nigeria? Yes. And what do we do with terrorists? We go after them,” Hayab said.

He stressed that terrorist groups began targeting Christians but have increasingly attacked Muslims who reject extremist ideology, underscoring that religion must never shield perpetrators.

The CAN leader also highlighted the role of unpatriotic leaders and weak governance in prolonging insecurity.

He condemned religious leaders who failed to firmly speak against extremists, saying silence emboldens violence and fosters suspicion against entire faith communities.

On political interference, Hayab warned that some insecurity is orchestrated by political actors who seek to destabilise the government. “If you have credible evidence against the sponsors and supporters of these criminals, arrest them. Prosecute them.

Expose them. Yes, our security agencies have said it again and again: some people started this thinking it was just a political strategy. But it has become an evil against every Nigerian,” he stated.

Hayab endorsed collaboration with international partners, including Trump’s initiatives, saying it does not compromise Nigeria’s sovereignty but strengthens intelligence and operational capacity to confront terrorism effectively.

Beyond security, Hayab called for greater citizen responsibility in governance. He stressed that Nigerians must view themselves as partners in progress, holding leaders accountable, paying taxes, and actively participating in nation-building.

“You only protect what you own. If governance is truly yours, you will not allow it to fail,” he said, highlighting the need to rebuild trust between citizens and the state.

He concluded that blind loyalty to leaders undermines the nation. “Silence is not loyalty. Silence is betrayal of the country.

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My refusal to speak when something is wrong, that is the sin I do not want to commit,” Hayab said, reiterating the importance of active civic engagement in confronting insecurity and corruption.