The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has refuted claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria, stating that the country remains open to international collaboration to combat insecurity, particularly terrorism.
Oluyede made the remarks in Abuja on Monday after a closed-door meeting with other security chiefs at the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
“We just concluded a General Security Appraisal Committee meeting. This session was convened specifically to address the recent allegations that Nigeria is persecuting Christians,” the CDS told reporters.
“I want to state clearly that no Christian is being persecuted in Nigeria. What we are dealing with is insecurity, mainly terrorism, which has affected the country for some time. As security heads, we are doing everything possible to contain it.”
The comments come days after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed there was a “mass slaughter of Christians” in Nigeria and threatened military action if the situation persists. The U.S. also redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC).
General Oluyede said the Tinubu administration is tackling the challenge head-on, citing recent reforms within the military hierarchy aimed at improving operations.
“Just last week, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, restructured the security architecture, appointing officers of proven integrity and experience in asymmetric warfare to strengthen our efforts,” he said.
He assured Nigerians that the armed forces would intensify operations to curb terrorism and restore peace across the country.
Describing terrorism as a global menace, Oluyede stressed that collective international cooperation is essential in addressing it.
“Terrorism is not peculiar to Nigeria; it’s a global problem that demands collective effort. If other nations are willing to support us, we welcome such collaboration to help defeat terrorism within our borders,” he added.