Senior Pastor of the Guiding Light Assembly, Abuja, Pastor Wale Adefarasin, has dismissed claims that attacks on Christians in parts of northern Nigeria amount to genocide.
In a viral video on Monday, Adefarasin criticised the United States for what he described as its sudden show of concern for Nigerian Christians, following recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump on alleged religious persecution in the country.
According to the cleric, killings in some parts of Nigeria are not new. For the 40 years that I have been a Christian, there have been killings in southern Kaduna, killings on the Plateau, there have been riots, he said.
I even remember when an image of Prophet Muhammad was defaced in France, and as a result, Christians were killed in Nigeria.
Adefarasin argued that the Western portrayal of the situation gives the false impression that Christians in Nigeria live under constant threat.
It’s nothing new. It doesn’t amount to genocide. The way the West is talking about it, it’s as if a Christian steps on the street and his head will be blown off, he added.
He further questioned the motives behind America’s growing interest in Nigeria’s internal affairs. I’m trying to understand this sudden love for Christians.
Is it because we now have one of the largest refineries in the world and no longer have to export crude oil? Or is it because of the 21st-century minerals in our soil that are essential for electric vehicles and nuclear power? Are those the reasons our friends are threatening to invade our country to defend Nigerian Christians? he asked.
His comments come amid widespread reactions from Nigerian leaders, clerics, and civil society groups following Trump’s threat of possible U.S. military action over the alleged killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, had earlier warned that any U.S. military operation in Nigeria without the federal government’s consent would be diplomatically offensive and unacceptable.
Speaking with BBC World Service on Monday, Bwala stressed that Nigeria remains a sovereign nation and that any foreign involvement in its internal security must be based on collaboration and mutual respect for its territorial integrity.
Bwala also clarified that Trump’s statements might have been misunderstood, expressing hope that the issue would be resolved when President Tinubu meets his U.S. counterpart. He commended Trump for previously approving arms sales to Nigeria during his first term, calling it a show of goodwill and support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
