Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi has strongly rejected US President Donald Trump’s threat of military action against terrorists in Nigeria, insisting the US forces cannot defeat insurgents and that dialogue remains the only solution.
In a recent interview with VOP TV, Sheikh Gumi criticised the designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the US and the looming threat of American military intervention. He described the US as deceptive and warned that any bombing campaign would exacerbate Nigeria’s insecurity rather than resolve it.
Gumi made reference to America’s troubled history in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya;
America are known to be liars. They said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, and there were none – Sheikh Gumi
He argued that foreign military strikes wouldn’t succeed against militants deeply embedded in Nigerian society and would likely cause massive civilian casualties.
The cleric spoke of his work to negotiate with armed groups and slow disarmament processes in places like Kaduna.
While many of the armed groups still hold their weapons, they are no longer actively fighting; the process is gradual but effective…a US-led military strike in Nigeria would lead to massive civilian casualties and deepen the country’s crisis. Slowly, we will civilize them(Terrorists), take away their weapons, and make them good citizens. But using force against force will only make things worse – Sheikh Gumi
The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009 after violent clashes involving its founder Mohammed Yusuf, continues to fuel instability in northern Nigeria. Gumi stressed that force alone has failed for over 15 years and advocated for compassionate understanding and dialogue to resolve the conflict.
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