General Olufemi Oluyede, newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff has dismissed claims of a coordinated persecution or genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
This comes after President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), alleging widespread Christian killings.
The US President also warned that if the Nigerian government fails to stop the alleged persecution, the American military may intervene.
However, speaking to journalists shortly after a meeting with the National Security Adviser (NSA) on Monday, the CDS insisted that the claims are exaggerated and misleading.
According to him, the insecurity affecting Nigeria does not target any particular religious group, adding that terrorism is a global challenge Nigeria has been battling for years.
“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.
“We have been doing our very best to checkmate this act of terrorism within the country,” General Oluyede said.
He further stressed Nigeria’s willingness to collaborate with friendly nations in tackling insecurity.
“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,” he said.