A heated debate has erupted online after Pastor Femi Lazarus, the founder of Sphere of Light Church, made strong claims about the United States’ recent expressions of concern over Nigeria’s internal affairs.

Legit.ng reports that US President Donald Trump officially listed Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over reported attacks on Christians by Islamist groups.

Reacting, in a now-viral video, the pastor alleged that America’s interest in Nigeria is not humanitarian but a strategic move to divide the nation for its own gain. But many Nigerians are not buying it.

Speaking during a church gathering, Apostle Lazarus insisted that foreign interventions are rarely sincere.

He pointed to past events during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He claimed “When Jonathan was in power, Nigeria needed to buy certain things to fight insurgency, and it was America that blocked us."

He suggested that countries rich in mineral resources often attract external powers seeking control.

He warned: “The only country richer than us in mineral resources is Venezuela. Anywhere there is wealth, burns. They may seem to be bringing help, but the aim is to penetrate and keep us bounded,” he warned.

According to him, the growing narrative about Christians being persecuted in Nigeria is being amplified internationally to “create division and weaken national stability.”

However, many Nigerians online dismissed his claims, calling them misleading and harmful.

Watch the video here:

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