“Nigeria Must End All Military Ties With the U.S. Immediately, it will worsen insecurity” — Sheikh Gumi
Islamic cleric Sheikh Abubakar Gumi has called on Nigeria to immediately end all military cooperation with the United States following the US airstrikes on ISIS targets on Christmas Day.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Gumi warned that foreign military involvement particularly by the US would worsen insecurity rather than solve it, citing what he described as America’s imperial tendencies. He urged the Federal Government to instead seek support from more “neutral” countries such as China, Turkey, and Pakistan, arguing that Nigeria has enough manpower to tackle terrorism internally.
While acknowledging that fighting terrorism is legitimate and an Islamic obligation, Gumi insisted it should not be outsourced to foreign powers with hidden agendas. He claimed US involvement could turn Nigeria into a theatre of war, deepen religious divisions, and undermine national sovereignty, especially if framed as protecting Christians.
The cleric also argued that airstrikes alone are ineffective against terrorism and raised concerns that the timing and location of the attacks could inflame religious tensions.
Gumi’s comments followed an announcement by US President Donald Trump that American forces had carried out “powerful and deadly” strikes against ISIS militants in North-West Nigeria. The Nigerian government later confirmed the operation was conducted in collaboration with the United States as part of ongoing security cooperation.
