Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has criticised the United States’ recent airstrikes on terrorist camps in north-western Nigeria.
He described the attacks as potentially polarising and detrimental to national sovereignty.
This comes after US President Donald Trump’s announcement that US forces carried out “numerous deadly strikes” in north-western Nigeria.
According to Trump, the strikes were aimed at Islamic State terrorists targeting Christians, and the Federal Government’s confirmation of ongoing security and intelligence cooperation with the US.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the collaboration, which led to precision airstrikes, involves intelligence sharing and strategic coordination in line with international law and Nigeria’s sovereignty. It emphasised that all counter-terrorism efforts prioritise civilian protection and national unity.
In a post on Facebook on Friday, Gumi argued that annihilating terrorists is an Islamic obligation, citing the Prophet Muhammad’s wish to destroy such groups.
However, he stressed that such action should be undertaken by “clean, holy hands” rather than foreign powers whose past, he claimed, includes killing innocent civilians.
Gumi urged the Federal Government to halt military cooperation with the US and instead seek assistance from “neutral countries” such as China, Turkey, and Pakistan. He added that dropping bombs cannot tackle terrorism effectively, noting that Nigeria has sufficient personnel for ground operations.
“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
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“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; they need serious military on the ground, which, if we are serious, we have enough men to do that. We call on all villages affected to upload videos and pictures of any casualties involved.”
The cleric also described the airstrikes on Sokoto, a largely Muslim area, as symbolic of a neo-Crusade war against Islam and criticised the focus on regions with minimal immediate terrorist threats.
“The attacks are symbolic of a harbinger neo-Crusade war against Islam. Attack on Sokoto, where 90% are Muslim with no imminent danger of terror, while the real threat is in Maiduguri and on a Christmas Eve, with the claim of protecting against Christian genocide, says a lot. We believe the terror is manufactured and sustained by the same people claiming to fight it,” he said.