Airstrikes on terrorists: Why Nigeria should halt military cooperation with US immediately — Sheikh Gumi

Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has urged the Federal Government to immediately suspend all military cooperation with the United States (US) following reported airstrikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria.

Gumi, reacting to the US involvement in counterterrorism operations in a Facebook post on Friday, said the elimination of terrorists is religiously justified in Islam but argued that such actions should only be carried out by actors he considers morally credible. 

He maintained that Nigeria made a mistake by allowing the US to play a role in its security operations, insisting that violent actors do not genuinely fight terrorism but often pursue hidden agendas that result in civilian casualties.

According to him, no country should permit its territory to become a theatre of war or allow neighbouring states to be turned into enemies. 

He said Nigeria should instead seek military assistance from what he described as neutral countries such as China, Turkey and Pakistan if external support is required.

The cleric warned that US involvement could attract anti-American forces into Nigeria, escalate insecurity and deepen religious divisions, particularly if such interventions are framed as protecting one religious group over another. 

Gumi further said aerial bombardments alone cannot address the problem of terrorism, stressing the need for sustained ground operations, which he claimed Nigeria has sufficient personnel to carry out if it is genuinely committed to ending insecurity. 

He also called on affected communities to document and share evidence of any casualties resulting from military operations.

He described the airstrikes as symbolic of what he views as a broader ideological conflict against Islam, questioning the focus on areas such as Sokoto, which he said faces no immediate terrorist threat, while regions like Maiduguri remain more vulnerable. 

Gumi also alleged that terrorism is being created and sustained by the same actors who claim to be fighting it, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and discerning.

He said, “The Symbolism of the US strike!

“Annihilating terrorists is an Islamic obligation. The Prophet – peace be upon him- wished he annihilated them. He said:  “Should I live till they appear, I would kill them as the Killing of the nation of ‘Ad.” Al-Bukhari and Muslim. 

“This said, it should only be carried out by clean, holy hands, not by another terrorist whose hands are stained with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent children, women, and men just recently.

“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.

“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. 

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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. We believe the terror is manufactured and sustained by the same people claiming to fight it.

“A word is enough for the wise!”

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