Controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has criticised the United States over its airstrike on Islamic State camps in northwest Nigeria carried out on Christmas Day, December 25. In a post shared on his Facebook page, Gumi argued that the fight against terrorism should be undertaken only by what he described as βclean and holy hands,β not by a country he accused of having a history of violence against innocent civilians. He described the United States as unfit to lead such efforts, claiming its actions around the world have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of women, children and men.
Gumi maintained that Nigeria made a serious mistake by allowing US involvement, insisting that βterrorists do not truly fight terrorists,β but often pursue hidden agendas that ultimately harm innocent people. He warned that foreign military interventions tend to worsen conflicts rather than resolve them.According to him, Nigeria should never allow its territory to become a theatre of war or permit external powers to turn neighbouring states into enemies. He suggested that if Nigeria required military assistance, countries such as China, Turkey or Pakistan would be more suitable partners.
The cleric further argued that limited airstrikes would not solve the problem of terrorism, stressing that defeating insurgency requires a strong and sustained ground military presence. He said Nigeria has enough personnel to prosecute the war effectively if there is genuine commitment. Gumi called on the federal government to immediately end all military cooperation with the United States, warning that American involvement could attract anti-US forces into Nigeria and deepen insecurity. He also cautioned that framing the intervention as an effort to βprotect Christiansβ could further polarise the country and undermine national sovereignty.
He claimed the strike carried out in Sokoto, a predominantly Muslim state, on Christmas Eve raised serious questions, especially when, according to him, the most severe terrorist threats remain in the North East. Gumi suggested that the timing and justification of the attack pointed to a broader political or ideological agenda. He also urged communities affected by the strikes to document and share evidence of any civilian casualties, reiterating his belief that terrorism is often sustained by the same forces claiming to fight it. Concluding his remarks, Gumi warned that the issue could become a major topic in Nigeriaβs 2027 political discourse, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and critical of foreign military involvement in the country.
Source: https://m.lindaikejisblog.com/
