Abuja, Nigeria – Islamic scholar Dr Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi has criticised reported United States military actions and involvement in Nigeria, arguing that such moves risk deepening insecurity and undermining national sovereignty.
Dr Gumi said the fight against terrorism is a religious obligation in Islam, citing prophetic traditions that call for firm action against violent groups. However, he maintained that such action must be carried out by what he described as morally upright authorities, not foreign powers he accused of having their own strategic interests and a record of civilian casualties.
Speaking on the broader security situation, Gumi said Nigeria had erred by allowing external actors to position themselves as partners in the fight against terror. According to him, terrorists do not genuinely confront other terrorists but instead end up harming innocent civilians while advancing hidden agendas.
He warned that no country should permit its territory to become a battlefield for global power struggles or allow neighbouring states to be treated as enemies. In his view, Nigeria should immediately suspend military cooperation with the United States and instead seek assistance from countries he described as more neutral, including China, Turkey and Pakistan.
Gumi argued that American involvement in Nigeria could attract hostile anti US groups and turn the country into a wider theatre of war. He said claims that the United States was acting to protect Christians would further divide Nigerians along religious lines and weaken national unity.
He also suggested that security cooperation with Washington could become a political issue ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections, insisting that Nigerians were educated enough to recognise what he called external manipulation.
On the ground situation, Gumi said air strikes and sporadic bombing were insufficient to defeat terrorism. He called for serious deployment of troops, noting that Nigeria had enough personnel if properly organised. He urged communities affected by violence to document and share evidence of civilian casualties.
Referring to reported attacks in Sokoto, a predominantly Muslim area, he questioned the timing and location of the strikes, especially when he said the main terror threat remained in Maiduguri. He argued that carrying out such operations on Christmas Eve, while citing the protection of Christians, raised concerns about motive.
Gumi described the attacks as symbolic and warned of what he called a looming neo Crusade against Islam. He claimed that terrorism in Nigeria was being manufactured and sustained by the same forces presenting themselves as its enemies.
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