Chief of Defence Staff Oluyede Dismisses Trump’s ‘Christian Genocide’ Claim

The newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has strongly dismissed the reports alleging a Christian massacre in Nigeria, insisting that the country’s primary security challenge remains terrorism.

Dependable NG reports that the claim of Christian genocide was recently intensified when US President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” and vowed potential American military intervention if the alleged persecution continued.

Speaking to journalists on Monday shortly after a meeting with the National Security Adviser (NSA) in Abuja, the CDS firmly refuted the claim being made by some US lawmakers and religious freedom activists. General Oluyede stressed that the violence plaguing Nigeria is rooted in global terrorism, not religious persecution.

“There is no Christian persecution in Nigeria. I want to assure Nigerians of that. We are facing insecurity, especially terrorism, and it’s something that has been affecting Nigeria for quite some time now,” the Defence Chief asserted. He maintained that the Armed Forces are fully committed to checkmating the persistent acts of terrorism within the country.

General Oluyede concluded by welcoming international cooperation in the fight against insecurity, stating, “If there are countries out there who are ready to support Nigeria, we are ready to bring them on board to help us checkmate the act of terrorism in Nigeria.” This statement reinforces the Nigerian government’s official position that the security crisis affects citizens across all faiths and regions, and that the claims of religious intolerance are inaccurate and misleading.