Popular Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi condemned the Thursday airstrike launched by the United States of America on terrorist enclaves in north-western Nigeria.
Gumi’s criticism of the strikes came less than 24 hours after US President Donald Trump, via his official Truth handle, announced that the US Department of War carried out “numerous deadly strikes” in north-western Nigeria.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, earlier in a Friday statement signed by spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Nigerian authorities are engaging in a “structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America,” to address terrorism and violent extremism in the country.
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) also confirmed the ongoing intelligence coordination with the Nigerian authorities to carry out the precision airstrikes in Sokoto State.
He described the attacks as potentially polarising and detrimental to national sovereignty, rather seek counter-terrorism assistance from countries he described as “clean, holy hands”.
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.
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, stressing that launching airstrikes cannot tackle terrorism effectively, adding that Nigeria has sufficient personnel for ground operations.
“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theatre of war. And no nation should allow its neighbours 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 theatre of war. The USA’s involvement in Nigeria, citing coming to ‘protect Christians’, will ultimately polarise 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; 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.
