A Nigerian-born soldier serving in the United States Army has ignited a fierce online debate after issuing a direct and ominous warning to prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi. The soldier's message comes in the wake of US airstrikes against ISIS targets in Sokoto State, an operation that has sharply divided opinion in Nigeria.
The soldier, who identifies online as @Horiyourme, posted a photo of Sheikh Gumi with a provocative caption referencing the recent military action: "Update on @POTUS air strike: First you deliver the baby, then you get the placenta. Sheik Gumi, your days are numbered."
A Direct Challenge to a Vocal Critic
The soldier's statement is a direct response to Sheikh Gumi's vocal opposition to the US military intervention. In the days following the airstrike, Gumi publicly condemned the action, framing it as a "harbinger neo-Crusade war against Islam" and a dangerous infringement on Nigeria's sovereignty. He urged the Nigerian government to sever military ties with the United States and instead seek counter-terrorism assistance from countries like Turkey, Pakistan, or China.
By using the metaphor "First you deliver the baby, then you get the placenta," the soldier suggests that the primary target (the "baby," ISIS) has been dealt with, and secondary targets or enablers (the "placenta," which could imply figures like Gumi) are next. The phrase "your days are numbered" intensifies this into a personal threat.
The incident highlights how the US airstrikes have moved beyond a geopolitical event to become a deeply personal and cultural flashpoint. It underscores the dangerous polarization in Nigeria's security discourse, where a foreign military operation has led to a Nigerian soldier abroad threatening a leading religious figure at home, with both sides mobilizing passionate online armies in a battle of narratives that shows no signs of abating.
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