Senior Pastor of Guiding Light Assembly (GLA) Lagos Wale Adefarasin has challenged the United States’ recent concerns for Christians in Nigeria, stating that economic interests rather than human rights may underlie their stance.

In a sermon on Sunday and circulated widely online Monday, Adefarasin told his congregation that violence against Christians in northern Nigeria has persisted for decades and does not amount to genocide, contrary to some Western portrayals.

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.

“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 said.

His comments responded directly to U.S. President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations and threats of military action if the government fails to protect Christians.

Adefarasin questioned whether America’s newfound focus on Nigerian Christians is tied to the country’s reduced reliance on exporting crude oil or to its deposits of minerals essential for electric vehicles and nuclear energy.

“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.

The Federal Government has rejected Trump’s narrative, with President Bola Tinubu asserting that the constitution upholds religious freedom and that national policy prioritises interfaith harmony. (THE NATION)