By Charles Pemu 
ABUJA—The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has firmly debunked the narrative of widespread persecution of Christians in Nigeria, asserting that the nation’s primary and most urgent security concern remains terrorism.
General Oluyede’s comments, made to journalists in Abuja on Monday, directly challenge the assertions made last week by US President Donald Trump, who classified Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and threatened US military intervention.
The CDS explicitly rejected President Trump’s warning that “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.’”
General Oluyede stated unequivocally: “There are no Christians being persecuted in Nigeria. We are facing insecurity, especially terrorism, and it’s something that has been affecting Nigeria for quite some time now.”
He maintained that the violence plaguing the nation is a general security issue, not a systematic targeting of any one religious group by Islamic extremists, as alleged by the US President.
The Defence Chief affirmed that the Nigerian Armed Forces are intensifying operations against terrorist elements. He referenced the recent recalibration of the security architecture by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, noting that new officers seasoned in asymmetric warfare have been brought on board to add impetus to ongoing operations.
“We’re going to add more to what we’re doing, add more impetus to our operations, and ensure that we checkmate this act of terrorism within Nigeria,” he pledged.
General Oluyede stressed that terrorism is a worldwide problem requiring a collective response. While rejecting the idea of internal religious persecution, he welcomed international assistance in tackling the overarching security challenge.
He stated, “If we have countries out there who are ready to support Nigeria, we are ready to have them on board to help us checkmate the act of terrorism within our space.”