ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s new Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, has dismissed claims that Christians are being specifically targeted and killed in Nigeria, describing recent allegations from right-wing figures in the United States as unfounded and politically charged.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday, November 3, 2025, after a meeting with the National Security Adviser, Oluyede rejected assertions of a Christian genocide and said the country’s security challenges are driven by terrorism and criminal groups, not religious persecution.
“There are no Christians being persecuted in Nigeria,” Oluyede said.
“We are facing insecurity, especially terrorism, and it’s something that has been affecting Nigeria for quite some time now. But as a group, talking about security heads, we’ve been doing our very best to checkmate this act of terrorism within the space of Nigeria.”
His remarks come in the wake of comments from former US President Donald Trump and several conservative US lawmakers accusing Nigeria of allowing mass killings of Christians.
Trump recently redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” and warned the United States could intervene militarily, stating it may “go into that disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing’, to protect Christians.”
The Nigerian government has repeatedly denied reports of religious persecution, instead attributing violence across several regions to extremist insurgency, banditry, and communal conflict.
Oluyede emphasised that Nigeria views terrorism as a global problem requiring international cooperation.
“Terrorism is a global issue, it’s a global problem. There are several countries that are challenged in that respect, and it calls for collective effort,” he said.
“So if we have countries out there who are ready to support Nigeria, we are ready to have them onboard to help us checkmate the act of terrorism within the space of Nigeria.”
The defence chief noted that President Bola Tinubu recently overhauled the security leadership to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts.
“You will recall that just last week, the president, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 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 assured citizens that the armed forces would scale up efforts across all regions.
“Going forward, 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 said.
Nigeria has grappled with insurgency in the north-east, banditry in the north-west, and communal clashes across central states — violence that analysts say is complex, driven by security breakdowns, economic pressures, and extremist movements rather than religion alone.
