Sheikh Gumi: Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, has sharply criticised Nigerians who applauded the recent United States airstrikes on militant camps in Sokoto State, describing such support as ill-informed and dangerous to Nigeria’s national interest.
The airstrikes, reportedly carried out with the approval of the Nigerian government, targeted camps linked to Islamic State-affiliated extremist groups. Government sources indicated that the operations were precision strikes based on intelligence collaboration between Abuja and Washington, aimed at disrupting insurgent networks operating in the North-West.
Reacting to the development, Sheikh Gumi faulted the Federal Government for permitting foreign military involvement in Nigeria’s internal security challenges. He called on the authorities to immediately demand the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Nigerian territory.
“The Nigerian government should call the attention of the ambassadors concerned to withdraw the U.S. military intervention in the fight immediately,” Gumi stated.
Addressing Nigerians who welcomed the strikes, the cleric said such reactions reflected a poor understanding of the broader implications of foreign military presence.
“This is nothing but a betrayal of Nigerians. Some people will be saying that since we cannot end the insecurity and we have United States government intervention, why don’t we gladly accept the help,” he said in a video message.
“There are stupid people whose thinking faculty is very small; they are the ones who will think so,” he added.
Gumi further launched a personal attack on U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of global violence and moral culpability.
“This person must be stopped and chased out. This is a person that has his hands stained with the blood of children and adults,” he said, questioning the wisdom of relying on foreign powers to resolve domestic security crises.
In a statement titled “The Symbolism of the U.S. Strike,” shared on his official Facebook page, Gumi argued that Nigeria had committed a strategic error by aligning with the United States militarily. He warned that foreign intervention often comes with hidden agendas and rarely serves the true interests of the host nation.
“Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror,’” he wrote.
The cleric cautioned that allowing Nigeria to become a theatre for foreign military operations could escalate insecurity and attract global extremist attention to the country. He suggested alternative allies, stating that nations such as China, Turkey, and Pakistan could provide military assistance without destabilising Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Gumi also warned that American intervention, particularly if framed as protecting Christians, could deepen religious divisions and further complicate Nigeria’s fragile social cohesion.
Sheikh Gumi has criticised Nigerians supporting U.S. airstrikes in Sokoto State, warning that foreign military intervention threatens Nigeria’s sovereignty and could worsen insecurity rather than resolve it.
Sheikh Gumi Labels Supporters of U.S. Sokoto Airstrikes “Stupid,” Accuses Trump of Having “Bloodstained Hands”
More:
EFCC Denies Political Motive, Says Malami Failed to Meet Bail Conditions and Skipped Investigations
