The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has refuted claims that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, stressing that the nation’s major challenge is terrorism, not religion.
Addressing journalists on Monday in Abuja, Oluyede dismissed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged that Islamic extremists were killing Christians in Nigeria. “There are no Christians being persecuted in Nigeria,” he said. “What we are dealing with is insecurity, particularly terrorism, which has affected Nigerians of all faiths.”
The defence chief explained that the Armed Forces are intensifying efforts to tackle terrorism and restore peace nationwide. He also praised President Bola Tinubu’s recent security reforms, noting that the restructuring has brought in officers “of proven integrity and experience in asymmetric warfare.”
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Oluyede assured that military operations against terrorists and criminal groups would be expanded. “We will strengthen our operations and ensure we curb terrorism across the country,” he said.
He added that terrorism is a global problem requiring cooperation from friendly nations. “If countries are willing to support Nigeria, we are open to collaboration,” he said.
His comments followed Trump’s controversial statement on his Truth Social platform, where he threatened U.S. action over alleged Christian killings. In response, President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom, saying the nation “stands firmly as a democracy guided by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.”
Tinubu dismissed foreign portrayals of Nigeria as intolerant, describing them as false and inconsistent with the country’s long-standing culture of peace among diverse faiths.
