Deeper Christian Life Ministry has denied a report claiming that its General Overseer Pastor William Kumuyi accused the United States of trying to steal Nigeria’s natural resources and dismissed claims of Christian genocide in the country.
The viral report, published on Sunday by an online platform identified as Ibom Focus, alleged that Pastor Kumuyi made the comments during a press briefing in Lagos.
In a statement posted on the clergyman’s official X account on Monday, the church said the report was false.
“The Deeper Christian Life Ministry (#dclmhq) condemns in the strongest terms the malicious and entirely false news report circulated by a faceless platform which goes by the name of ‘Ibomfocus,’” the statement read.
“The story with the headline: ‘America is Trying to Steal our Natural Resources; There is No Christian Genocide in Nigeria, says Pastor Kumuyi,’ is a total fabrication and the figment of the imagination of its authors.”
The ministry said Kumuyi has not been in Nigeria recently and did not hold any press conference.
“Pastor Kumuyi did not at any time address a press conference or make the aforementioned statement in Lagos. He has been away from Nigeria for a considerable length of time, holding programmes in the Oceania region and the Far East,” it added.
The statement further noted that the cleric does not comment on political matters.
“Pastor Kumuyi is well known for focusing on preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He does not dabble into politics, as the false story mentioned above seemed to suggest,” the church said.
The ministry warned individuals and platforms against spreading misinformation in Kumuyi’s name, saying such actions could attract consequences in the future.
The clarification followed the circulation of reports linking Kumuyi to comments on recent tensions between Nigeria and the United States.
The controversy comes amid reactions to former US President Donald Trump’s warning that the US might intervene in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians.
President Trump, in a post on Truth Social, threatened military action if the Nigerian government failed to address the reported attacks.
