Senior Pastor of Guiding Light Assembly, Wale Adefarasin, has downplayed recent claims by the United States about genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

Reacting to comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump, Adefarasin said in a viral video that violence against Christians in parts of northern Nigeria is not new and should not be exaggerated.

“For 40 years that I’ve been a Christian, there have been killings in southern Kaduna and on the Plateau. It’s nothing new—it doesn’t amount to genocide,” he said.

He also questioned America’s sudden interest in Nigeria, suggesting it might be linked to the country’s growing economic and mineral resources.

Adefarasin’s remarks follow widespread reactions to Trump’s warning of possible U.S. military action over alleged religious persecution in Nigeria.