Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has criticised the recent United States airstrikes on suspected terrorist camps in north-western Nigeria, describing the action as divisive and harmful to the country’s sovereignty.
His comments follow an announcement by US President Donald Trump that American forces had carried out “numerous deadly strikes” in the region.
Trump said the operations targeted Islamic State fighters allegedly attacking Christians. The Federal Government later confirmed that the strikes were part of ongoing security and intelligence cooperation between Nigeria and the US.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the collaboration involves intelligence sharing and strategic coordination conducted in line with international law and Nigeria’s sovereignty, adding that civilian protection and national unity remain key priorities.
Reacting in a Facebook post on Friday, Gumi acknowledged that eliminating terrorists is an Islamic duty, noting that even the Prophet Muhammad desired the destruction of such violent groups. However, he argued that this responsibility should be carried out by “clean, holy hands,” not foreign powers he accused of having histories of killing innocent civilians.
The cleric urged the Federal Government to discontinue military cooperation with the United States and instead explore partnerships with what he described as “neutral countries” such as China, Turkey and Pakistan. He maintained that air bombardments alone cannot defeat terrorism and insisted Nigeria has enough personnel to handle ground operations.
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“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,” he said.
Gumi warned that US involvement could worsen insecurity and deepen divisions, stating: “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.”
He further called on the government to end cooperation with Washington, saying: “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.”
On military strategy, the cleric argued that air raids are insufficient to address terrorism, adding: “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.”
Gumi also criticised the reported airstrikes in Sokoto State, a predominantly Muslim area, describing them as symbolic of what he termed a neo-Crusade against Islam. He questioned the focus on areas he claimed have limited 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,” he said.
He concluded by alleging that terrorism in the country is being manipulated, adding: “We believe the terror is manufactured and sustained by the same people claiming to fight it.”