General Olufemi Oluyede, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has rejected claims made by US President Donald Trump that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, stating that terrorism—rather than attacks motivated by religion—remains the nation’s greatest threat.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Monday, General Oluyede called Trump’s claim false and pointed out that people of all faiths are impacted by the nation’s insecurity.
“There are no Christians being persecuted in Nigeria,” he declared. Nigeria has been dealing with insecurity, particularly terrorism, for a considerable amount of time.
The Defense Chief emphasized that religion has no bearing on the ongoing operations and that the Nigerian Armed Forces are still committed to combating terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes.
President Bola Tinubu’s reorganization of the national security framework has already improved collaboration between the military and intelligence services, according to Oluyede.
He stated, “You will remember that just last week, the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, recalibrated the security architecture by bringing on board officers of proven integrity who are seasoned in asymmetric warfare to add impetus to our operations.”
He pointed out that these changes have increased service coordination and made counterterrorism efforts more effective.
Nigerians were reassured by the CDS that the Armed Forces will step up their efforts to eradicate terrorists and bring peace back to the nation.
He declared, “We’re going to increase what we’re doing, give our operations more momentum, and make sure that we checkmate this act of terrorism within Nigeria.”
Oluyede clarified that terrorism is a worldwide issue that is not specific to Nigeria and urged ongoing international cooperation to combat the menace.
“There are a number of nations that have challenges in that regard, which necessitates teamwork. Therefore, if there are nations that are willing to assist Nigeria, we are prepared to include them in our efforts to stop acts of terrorism in our region,” he continued.
Oluyede’s comments followed threats of potential military involvement by US President Donald Trump, who accused the Nigerian government of permitting the murder of Christians.
Last Saturday, Trump threatened to “go in guns blazing” if the purported attacks on Christians persisted in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump had declared, “The USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria and may very well go into that now disgraced country, guns-a-blazing, if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians.”
