Killings In Nigeria Are Nothing New, Do Not Amount To Genocide, Says Popular Nigerian Pastor
Pastor Wale Adefarasin, the Senior Pastor of Guiding Light Assembly, Abuja, has criticised the United States for its sudden display of concern over the plight of Christians in Nigeria, following recent comments by the U.S. President, Donald Trump, on alleged religious persecution in the country.
In a video that went viral on Monday, Adefarasin noted that attacks on Christians in parts of northern Nigeria were not a new development and cautioned against portraying the incidents as genocide.
He said, “For 40 years that I have been a Christian, there have been killings in southern Kaduna, killings on the plateau, there have been riots.
“Sometimes, I think it was in France, an image of Prophet Muhammad was defaced. Who remembers that? And as a result of that, there were killings of Christians in Nigeria.”
According to him, the West’s portrayal of the situation as if Christians in Nigeria are under constant attack is misleading.
“And so, it’s nothing new. It doesn’t amount to genocide. The way the West are talking about it, it’s as if if a Christian steps on the street, his head will be blown off,” he added.
The pastor went on to question the motives behind the United States’ 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 ship raw materials abroad and bring the finished products?
“Or is it because of the 21st century minerals that we now have in our earth, that are used to generate nuclear power for electric vehicles? Are those the reasons that our friends are threatening to invade our country to defend and protect Nigerian Christians?” he asked.
His comments come amid a wave of reactions from Nigerian leaders, clerics, and civil society groups following Trump’s threat of possible U.S. military action in Nigeria over the alleged killing of Christians.
Recall that Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu had warned that it would be diplomatically offensive and unacceptable for the United States to carry out any form of military operation in Nigeria without the express consent of the Federal Government.
Bwala, who spoke in an interview with the BBC World Service on Monday, emphasized that Nigeria remains a sovereign state and that any foreign involvement in its internal security affairs must be based on collaboration and mutual respect for the country’s territorial integrity.
His remarks followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent declaration naming Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over what he described as the persecution of Christians. Trump had also warned that Nigeria could lose U.S. aid if it failed to address rising insecurity, even threatening to deploy America’s “Department of War” against terrorist groups allegedly targeting Christians.
Reacting, Bwala said Trump’s statements were largely misunderstood, expressing optimism that the issue would be clarified when President Tinubu meets with his U.S. counterpart in the coming days.
He, however, praised Trump for approving arms sales to Nigeria during his first term, describing it as a demonstration of goodwill and support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
