AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Nigerian Baptist Convention has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently convene a national security conference involving all former Presidents and Heads of State, with the aim of developing an effective security blueprint to address the worsening security challenges in the land.
Rev. Dr. Israel Akanji, President of the Convention, made the call during a press briefing ahead of the 112th Annual Session of the Nigerian Baptist Convention and the 175th anniversary of Baptist missionary work in Nigeria. The anniversary commemorates the arrival of American missionary Rev. Thomas Jefferson Bowen from the State of Georgia, USA, in 1850.
The week-long event will begin on Saturday, April 26, at the Baptist International Convention Centre along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. It is being hosted by the Providence, Ethiope, and Anioma Delta Baptist Conferences.
Rev. Akanji emphasized the need for the proposed national security conference to also include both former and serving security chiefs, such as the Minister of Defence, the Service Chiefs, the Inspector General of Police, and the heads of the Department of State Services, Defence Intelligence Agency, and the National Intelligence Agency.
Addressing pressing national concerns, Akanji decried the worsening state of insecurity, economic hardship, poor infrastructure, and the rising Japa syndrome — the mass emigration of young Nigerians seeking better opportunities abroad.
He expressed deep concern over the unrelenting wave of violence across the country, including mass killings, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks, which he described as a sign of a compromised security system inherited by the current administration.
“The spate of mass burials in communities like Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Bassa in Plateau State, as well as similar incidents in Benue, Katsina, Zamfara, and Borno, is deeply disturbing and unacceptable,” he said. “Our judiciary and the police must rise to the occasion through prompt and effective prosecution of those behind these acts. This is not the time for lip service.”
Rev. Akanji reiterated the Convention’s support for the establishment of State Police, arguing that the current centralized policing model is insufficient to tackle the scale of insecurity in Nigeria.
He also acknowledged some improvements in foreign investment inflow but urged the government to intensify efforts to create a more attractive investment climate.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s Convention, “Entering into Newness through Fasting and Prayer,” drawn from Ezra 8:23, Akanji said it reflects the divine vision for a transformative renewal for the Baptist denomination and the nation at large.
The Nigerian Baptist Convention was formally established as a national body on March 11, 1914, during a meeting at the First Baptist Church on Idikan Street, Ibadan.
Rev. Akanji also extended condolences to the Catholic Church on the passing of Pope Francis, saying that “We commiserate with the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria and the global Roman Catholic community on the passing of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, in Vatican City. He had just delivered his Easter message the day before. What a glorious exit.”
