Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend all forms of military cooperation and engagement with the United States following the recent reports of U.S. airstrikes conducted on Nigerian soil. The cleric expressed concern that such foreign military interventions could negatively impact Nigeria’s sovereignty and worsen the nation’s existing security challenges.
It would be recalled that the United States President, Donald Trump, announced that he had personally ordered powerful military airstrikes against terrorists in Northwest Nigeria, a move that he described as decisive action against groups targeting innocent civilians, particularly Christians, in the region.
Sheikh Gumi reacts
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Friday, Sheikh Gumi warned that allowing American involvement in Nigeria’s security operations could exacerbate insecurity rather than resolve it. He argued that such foreign participation may undermine national sovereignty and create conditions for further instability in the country.
The cleric explained that while Islam permits the fight against terrorism, such efforts must be conducted by what he described as “clean hands.” He stressed that the United States, due to its extensive global military interventions and record, lacks the moral authority to lead counterterrorism campaigns within Nigeria.
Sheikh Gumi chastises Nigeria govt
According to Sheikh Gumi, the Nigerian government made a critical error by permitting foreign powers, particularly the United States, to participate in its counterterrorism operations. He warned that foreign military interventions often carry hidden political motives and can result in unintended civilian casualties, creating long-term consequences for the country’s security landscape.
Gumi cautioned that allowing Nigeria to become a theater of war could attract anti-U.S. forces to the country, thereby deepening instability and creating further security challenges. He also emphasized that framing foreign intervention around the protection of Christians risks polarizing the nation along religious lines, which could undermine national cohesion.
The cleric further stressed that airstrikes alone are insufficient to eliminate terrorist threats. He highlighted that effective counterterrorism requires well-coordinated and sustained ground operations, which Nigeria has the manpower and capability to conduct if properly organized and deployed.
Sheikh Gumi’s statement read in part:
“The Symbolism of the US strike!
Annihilating terrorists is an Islamic obligation. The Prophet – peace be upon him – wished he annihilated them. He said: ‘Should I live till they appear, I would kill them as the killing of the nation of ‘Ad.’ Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
This said, 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 just recently.
This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror.’
As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies. If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively.
The US involvement in Nigeria will attract the real anti-US forces, making our land the theater of war. The USA’s involvement in Nigeria, citing coming to ‘protect Christians,’ will ultimately polarize our nation and infringe on our sovereignty.
Nigeria should halt all military cooperation with the USA immediately because of its imperial tendencies worldwide and seek the help of those neutral countries mentioned. Nigerians are too educated to be played with. This is going to be a 2027 campaign discourse.
Meanwhile, dropping a few bombs here and there cannot tackle the menace of terror; serious, coordinated ground military action is required, which Nigeria has the manpower to execute if the government is determined. Sheikh Gumi also urged affected villages to document and upload videos and pictures of any casualties resulting from the attacks.
He added that the recent airstrikes appear symbolic of a neo-Crusade war against Islam, pointing to the targeting of Sokoto, a region where 90% of the population is Muslim and where no immediate terror threat existed. He noted that the real threats are elsewhere, such as Maiduguri, and that the timing on Christmas Eve under the pretext of protecting Christians is highly questionable. Gumi asserted that the terror activities may have been manufactured and sustained by the same entities claiming to fight them.
He concluded his statement with a warning to the government and citizens alike: “A word is enough for the wise!”
See post below …
