Prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has issued a scathing critique of the recent United States military airstrikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria, framing the operation not as a counter-terrorism effort but as a symbolic act of war against Islam with dangerous implications for national sovereignty.
In a detailed statement titled "The Symbolism of the US strike!" posted to his verified Facebook page, Gumi reacted to President Donald Trump's announcement of "perfect strikes" in northwestern Nigeria. The cleric argued that while destroying terrorists is an "Islamic obligation," it must be carried out by "clean, holy hands," not by a nation he accuses of being "another terrorist whose hands are stained with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent" people worldwide.
A "Manufactured" Conflict and a Call for Neutral Allies
Gumi's core argument is that the US involvement is geopolitically and religiously charged, designed to polarize Nigeria. He described the strikes, which occurred on Christmas Eve in the heavily Muslim state of Sokoto, as "symbolic of a harbinger neo-Crusade war against Islam." He suggested the timing and location—far from the primary terror epicenters in Maiduguri—were deliberate, intended to frame the conflict along religious lines under the pretext of protecting Christians.
"Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth," Gumi wrote, positing that the US has ulterior motives. "We believe the terror is manufactured and sustained by the same people claiming to fight it." He warned that American intervention would turn Nigeria into a proxy theater, attracting "real anti-US forces" and ultimately infringing on the nation's sovereignty.
As an alternative, Gumi urged the Nigerian government to "halt all military cooperation with the USA immediately because of its imperial tendencies" and instead seek technical assistance from what he termed neutral countries: China, Turkey, and Pakistan.
Political Repercussions and a Challenge for Evidence
The cleric also placed the issue squarely in the realm of domestic politics, declaring, "This is going to be a 2027 campaign discourse." He dismissed the efficacy of limited airstrikes, arguing that defeating terrorism requires a serious ground campaign for which Nigeria, he claims, has sufficient manpower.
Concluding with a call for transparency, Gumi urged residents in affected villages to "upload videos and pictures of any casualties involved," challenging the official narrative and seeking to document potential civilian harm. His statement frames the US intervention not as salvation but as a dangerous escalation that risks tearing the country apart along religious and geopolitical fault lines.
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