Defence chief Olufemi Oluyede has countered President Donald Trump, saying there is no “persecution of Christians” in the country.

Mr Oluyede, who spoke on Monday, said the ongoing insecurity across parts of the country is driven by terrorist activities, not religious persecution.

“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,” the Army chief stated.

Last Friday, Mr Trump designated Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’, citing “mass slaughter” of Christians by “radical Islamists”.

Mr Trump alleged that Christianity in Nigeria faces an “existential threat,” adding that “thousands of Christians are being killed”.

Reacting further, Mr Oluyede maintained that the Nigerian Armed Forces, under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, are working to combat terrorism and restore peace across affected regions.

“You will recall that just last week, the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, 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 said. “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.”

Mr Oluyede also noted that terrorism is not peculiar to Nigeria, describing it as a global menace that requires international collaboration.

“There are several countries that are challenged in that respect, and it calls for collective effort. So 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,” he said.