Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has cautioned against involving the United States in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, warning that such a move could expose the country to international terror groups.
In a Facebook post shared on Monday, Gumi stressed that Nigeria’s sovereignty should remain protected, insisting that the nation’s military is capable of tackling insecurity if operations are conducted without bias or misinformation.
The cleric also rejected claims that amnesty programmes have prevented security forces from confronting bandits and Boko Haram insurgents, describing such allegations as misleading and malicious.
According to him, Boko Haram has continued to operate nearly 17 years after the killing of its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009.
Gumi argued that the continued failure of military operations against insurgents is partly linked to alleged misconduct by security operatives and the killing of innocent civilians during operations.
He further warned that allowing the United States to participate directly in Nigeria’s security operations could worsen the situation by attracting global terrorist organisations into the country.
“The military can handle the situation if the rules of engagement are free from prejudice and deception, both in the use of force and funding,” he stated.
He added that involving the US would create a “new arena” for international terror groups and could lead to a rise in violence across Nigeria.
