Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has strongly criticised the United States after what President Trump described as “deadly and powerful” airstrikes in parts of northern Nigeria.
Gumi warned that foreign military involvement could deepen insecurity, polarise the country and undermine its sovereignty.
Speaking in a lengthy public statement shared via Facebook on Friday, December 26, Gumi said while Islam permits the elimination of terrorists, such actions must not be carried out by forces he accused of having “ulterior motives” and a history of civilian casualties.
“Annihilating terrorists is an Islamic obligation,” Gumi said.
He cited Islamic texts, saying:
“But it should only be carried out by clean, holy hands, not by another terrorist whose hands are stained with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent children, women, and men.”
Gumi argued that Nigeria had erred by allowing external powers to conduct military operations on its soil, insisting that no country should turn itself into “a theatre of war”.
“Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’,” he said.
He cautioned that the presence of US forces would attract hostile anti-American groups into Nigeria, escalating violence rather than resolving it.
“The US involvement in Nigeria will attract the real anti-US forces, making our land the theatre of war,” Gumi warned.
The cleric also expressed concern that the justification of the strikes as a move to “protect Christians” could inflame religious tensions in the country.
“The USA’s involvement in Nigeria, citing coming to ‘protect Christians’, will ultimately polarise our nation and infringe on our sovereignty,” he said.
Gumi described the timing and location of the strikes as troubling, alleging that an attack on Sokoto during the Christmas period raised serious questions.
“Attack on Sokoto, where over 90 per cent are Muslim with no imminent danger of terror, while the real threat is in Maiduguri, says a lot,” he stated.
Gumi urged the federal government to immediately suspend military cooperation with the United States, accusing Washington of imperial tendencies and warning of political consequences.
“Nigeria should halt all military cooperation with the USA immediately because of its imperial tendencies worldwide,” he said, adding that the issue could dominate political debates ahead of the 2027 elections.
He suggested that Nigeria should instead seek assistance from countries he described as more neutral.
“If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” Gumi said.
The Islamic scholar maintained that airstrikes alone would not defeat terrorism, stressing the need for serious ground operations driven by Nigerian forces.
“Dropping a few bombs here and there cannot tackle the menace of terror; they need serious military on the ground, which, if we are serious, we have enough men to do,” he said.
He also called on communities affected by the airstrikes to document and share evidence of any civilian casualties.
See his post below:
