Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has refuted claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump alleging persecution of Christians in Nigeria, stressing that the nation’s primary security threat is terrorism, not religious targeting.

In an interview with reporters on Monday in Abuja, General Oluyede described ’s remarks as inaccurate, maintaining that insecurity in the country affects Nigerians across all religious and ethnic groups.

“There is no persecution of Christians in Nigeria,” he said. “What we are dealing with is terrorism and insecurity, which have been long-standing issues affecting everyone.”

Oluyede noted that the Nigerian military remains committed to combating terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes, emphasizing that religion does not influence security operations in any part of the country.

He also praised President Bola Tinubu for restructuring the nation’s security leadership, stating that the adjustments have already strengthened cooperation among security agencies and improved responses to threats.

“Just recently, the President re-organized the security architecture, bringing in experienced officers skilled in asymmetric warfare to boost our operations,” he stated. According to him, the reforms have enhanced counter-terrorism efforts and improved synergy among the armed forces.

Reassuring the public, he vowed increased military pressure against terrorists to restore peace nationwide. “We are stepping up our efforts and will continue to intensify operations to stamp out terrorism in Nigeria,” he added.

Oluyede further stressed that terrorism is a global problem requiring joint action, expressing readiness to work with international partners willing to support Nigeria’s security efforts.

His comments followed Trump’s recent warning on his Truth Social platform, where the U.S. President accused Nigerian authorities of allowing attacks on Christians and threatened possible military involvement if the situation continued.