Wale Adefarasin, the senior pastor of Guiding Light Assembly, says the violent killings of Christians in Nigeria are normal occurrences over the years, dismissing President Donald Trump’s genocide claim and military invasion threat.

“What is happening in Nigeria does not amount to genocide against Christians,” Mr Adefarasin said in a viral video of his sermon.

The U.S. has already re-designated Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ while Mr Trump signalled that more trouble will come Nigeria’s way if President Bola Tinubu does not stop the wanton killing of Christians in the country.

“Over 40 years that I have been a Christian, there have been killings in southern Kaduna, killings on the Plateau, there have been riots,” the Christian cleric said. “Sometimes, I think it was in France, an image of Prophet Muhammad was defaced, and as a result of that, there were killings of Christians in Nigeria. It’s nothing new. It doesn’t amount to genocide.”

Mr Adefarasin dismissed the Christian genocide claim as an exaggerated outcry powered by the West.

“The way the West are talking about it, it’s as if a Christian steps on the street, his head will be blown off,” Mr Adefarasin said. 

However, the Christian Association of Nigeria had affirmed the campaign against Christian genocide in. On Tuesday, the president of CAN in the North, John Hayab, said Muslim terrorists were systematically killing Christians to perpetuate Islamic ideology.