A United Kingdom-based Catholic cleric, Rev. Nick Donnelly, has publicly called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Nigerian Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, accusing him of supporting Islamist terrorists.
Rev. Donnelly made this call on his X account on Monday, following a statement from Sheikh Gumi dismissing the categorization of violence in Nigeria as a “Christian genocide”, suggesting that the armed groups are primarily kidnapping children to make money.
Herdsmen are not like the Indigenous People of Biafra; they are kidnapping children to make money. Let’s be fair with them – Gumi
Sheikh Gumi has been a controversial figure in Nigeria, acting as an intermediary between the government and armed bandit groups responsible for mass kidnappings and violence, across the North-West. His advocacy for amnesty and dialogue has severally been criticized by, critics who argued that his actions embolden criminal elements and weakens the strength of security agencies.
Rev. Donnelly’s call was a direct response to the recent statement of Gumi, who reportedly compared the “herdsmen” to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), claiming the former are kidnapping children to make money and urging fairness towards them.
Gumi supports ‘herdsmen’, aka Islamist terrorists, kidnapping children to make money… The ICC needs to issue an arrest warrant on charges of crimes against humanity. Gumi needs to stand trial in the Hague – Rev. Donnelly
The controversy gained international attention after the US Government, under President Trump, redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over religious freedom issues, and threatened intervention over alleged killings of Christians.
While Gumi maintains his intervention is for peace, his comments are being scrutinized under the lens of international law regarding complicity in abduction and violence.
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