Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has dismissed allegations of persecution of Christian in the country, insisting that the security challenges confronting Nigeria were rooted in terrorism and not religion.
CDS Oluyede stated this on Tuesday while addressing journalists in Abuja after a closed-door meeting involving the National Security Adviser (NSA), Service Chiefs, and other heads of security agencies, a meeting convened amid heightened tensions following United States President Donald Trump’s recent threat of “military action” over alleged religious genocide in Nigeria.
“There are no Christians being persecuted in Nigeria,” the Army chief declared. “We’re facing insecurity, especially terrorism, and it’s something that has been affecting Nigeria for quite some time now. As a group charged with ensuring national security, we’ve been doing our very best to checkmate this act of terrorism within the space of Nigeria.”
General Oluyede highlighted that President Bola Tinubu recently overhauled the nation’s security architecture to strengthen operations against insurgency and banditry.
“You will recall that just last week, the President and Commander-in-Chief recalibrated the security architecture by bringing on board officers of proven integrity who are seasoned in asymmetric warfare,” he said. “This is to add more impetus to our operations and ensure that we checkmate this act of terrorism within Nigeria.”
The Army chief described terrorism as a “global problem” that requires international cooperation rather than condemnation.
“Terrorism is a global issue, a global problem,” Oluyede noted. “There are several countries facing similar challenges, and it calls for collective effort. So, if we have countries out there who are ready to support Nigeria, we welcome their knowledge and assistance to help us checkmate the act of terrorism within our space.”
His comments came as Washington continued to raise concerns about alleged religiously motivated violence in Nigeria, with Trump’s recent remarks sparking diplomatic unease.
Nigeria’s government and several officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Information, have since described the US position as “misguided and politically motivated,” stressing that the country’s conflicts were driven by criminality and terrorism, not religion.
