Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has firmly rejected allegations of systematic persecution of Christians in the country, emphasizing that the nation’s primary security challenge remains terrorism—not religious targeting.
The controversy reignited last week after former U.S. President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and warned that the United States could intervene militarily if the Nigerian government failed to protect Christians.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria—and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’” Trump declared.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, General Oluyede dismissed the claims, insisting that Nigeria’s security threats are not rooted in religion but in terrorism and criminality.
“There are no Christians being persecuted in Nigeria,” he said. “What we are dealing with is insecurity—particularly terrorism—and this has burdened the country for some time.”
He noted that the Federal Government has recently overhauled the nation’s security architecture, bringing in commanders with deep experience in asymmetric warfare to strengthen ongoing operations.
“You will recall that the President and Commander-in-Chief recalibrated the security structure last week, appointing officers of proven integrity to inject fresh momentum into our operations,” Oluyede said. “We are ramping up efforts to eliminate terrorist activities across the country.”
The Defence Chief stressed that terrorism is a global challenge and requires international collaboration.
“There are many countries facing similar threats. Tackling terrorism calls for collective action,” he added. “If there are nations willing to support Nigeria in this fight, we are ready to work with them to curb terrorism within our borders.”
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