*As Benue Tribal Leaders Demand Expansion Of US Strikes To North-East, North-Central
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Islamic scholar, Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States following reported airstrikes against ISIS terrorist elements in Nigeria.
Gumi made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook page, where he strongly criticised the involvement of the United States in military operations on Nigerian soil, describing it as dangerous to the country’s sovereignty and internal cohesion.
While acknowledging that fighting terrorism is an obligation in Islam, Gumi said such actions must be carried out by what he described as “clean and holy hands,” not by foreign powers he accused of having a history stained with the blood of innocent civilians.
“Annihilating terrorists is an Islamic obligation,” he said, citing a prophetic tradition. “But 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.”
According to Gumi, Nigeria made a grave mistake by allowing foreign military involvement, arguing that “terrorists do not fight terrorists in truth,” but rather end up killing innocent people while pursuing hidden agendas.
He warned that no nation should permit its territory to become a theatre of war or allow foreign powers to turn its neighbours into enemies, adding that U.S. involvement would attract anti-American forces to Nigeria.
“The U.S. involvement in Nigeria will attract real anti-U.S. forces, making our land a theatre of war,” he said. “Coming under the pretext of ‘protecting Christians’ will polarise our nation and infringe on our sovereignty.”
Gumi suggested that if Nigeria required external military assistance, it should turn to what he described as neutral countries such as China, Turkey and Pakistan, which he said could provide effective support without geopolitical baggage.
He further alleged that the reported bombing in Sokoto State was symbolic and politically motivated, questioning why an area he claimed is predominantly Muslim and not an epicentre of terrorism was targeted, while areas such as Maiduguri remain major flashpoints.
“The attack on Sokoto, where over 90 per cent are Muslims, on Christmas Eve, with claims of protecting against Christian genocide, says a lot,” he said. “We believe the terror is manufactured and sustained by the same people claiming to fight it.”
Gumi also argued that aerial bombardments alone cannot resolve Nigeria’s security challenges, insisting that only sustained ground operations could defeat terrorism.
“Dropping a few bombs here and there cannot tackle the menace of terror. It requires serious military operations on the ground, and if we are serious, we have enough men to do that,” he stated.
He called on communities affected by the strikes to document and share evidence of any casualties, while warning that the situation could become a major political issue ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Describing the strikes as a sign of what he termed a “neo-Crusade against Islam,” Gumi concluded by urging Nigerians to remain vigilant, saying, “A word is enough for the wise.”
Meanwhile, former Governor of Sokoto State and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has urged residents of the state to remain calm following reports of a United States airstrike carried out as part of ongoing counterterrorism operations in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Tambuwal made the call in a statement posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, amid growing public concern over the circumstances surrounding the reported military action.
“I have noted the reports concerning an airstrike carried out as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts through cooperation between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United States,” Tambuwal said. “I urge our communities to remain calm and law-abiding as relevant authorities clarify the circumstances surrounding the operation.”
The senator assured residents of Sokoto South that he is engaging directly with relevant security authorities to obtain comprehensive details of the operation and to ensure that all necessary safeguards were observed.
“I wish to assure the people of Sokoto South that I am in active talks with relevant security authorities to obtain full details and ensure that all necessary safeguards are upheld,” he stated.
Tambuwal stressed that counterterrorism operations are designed to target criminal and terrorist elements threatening public safety, not innocent civilians who are often victims of insecurity.
“It is important to reassure the public that counterterrorism operations are targeted at criminal and terrorist elements who threaten our collective safety, and not at innocent civilians,” he said, adding that the protection of civilian lives remains paramount in all legitimate security engagements.
He also commended the Nigerian military and security agencies for their courage and professionalism, noting that they continue to operate under extremely challenging conditions, sometimes in collaboration with international partners.
“Their sacrifice and commitment to restoring peace and stability deserve our full support and cooperation,” Tambuwal said.
The former governor further appealed to community leaders, traditional institutions, and residents to work closely with security agencies by providing credible information and resisting the spread of misinformation that could fuel fear or tension.
According to him, unity, vigilance, and public support for lawful security efforts are essential to defeating terrorism and banditry in Sokoto State and across Nigeria.
“Together, through unity, vigilance, and support for lawful security efforts, we will overcome the forces of terror and secure lasting peace for Sokoto State and Nigeria at large,” Tambuwal added.
In a contrasting position, the leadership of the tribal groups in Benue State has commended President Donald Trump for commencing air strikes in the North West of Nigeria to eliminate the terrorists groups operating in that part of the country.
They lauded the American President for keeping to his words and appealed to him to extend the action to the North East and North Central to ensure complete elimination of the terrorist groups attacking and killing Nigerians Christians as well as Muslims.
The Chairman of the tribal leaders and President General of Mzough U Tiv, MUT, worldwide, Chief Iorbee Ihagh who was reacting to the development said he had already written a letter to the American President to commend him for taking the bold step to end the genocide of Christians in the country.
Chief Ihagh recalled that he had in the past appealed to the American President to step in and help put an end to the killings in the country.
“So it is a welcome development. All we are urging the American President is that the strikes should be sustained and it should be decisive.”
“We also urge that it should be extended to the North East and the North Central or Middle Belt where we have suffered unimaginable attacks and killings by these terrorist groups.”
“Benue State in particular has suffered unimaginable level of killings forcing hundreds of thousands of our people into Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps,” he said.
Beyond military action, Chief Ihagh also appealed to the American government to take the action a step further by looking into the humanitarian crisis in Benue state and provide support that would help the displaced persons return back to their ancestral land some of which he said had been taken over by terrorist herdsmen.
According to him, “We have a huge humanitarian crisis in Benue as we speak and this was occasioned by the relentless attacks of our communities by these terrorist groups who masquerade as herdsmen.”
“We appeal to the American government to take their action a little further by coming in to help and assist our people gain access to their ancestral homes that have been taken over by the terrorists.”
“As I speak with you, my home, Moon in Kwande Local Government Area, LGA, was sacked by the terrorists who are currently occupying the entire Council Ward. So I am speaking as a victim and I know and feel the pain with my people.”
“I personally thank American for coming in to do this. I have already written the American President to commended him and we hope and pray that this intervention will finally give us peace in Nigeria and Benue State in particular so that our people can return to their farms in their ancestral land.”
The divergent reactions to the U.S. airstrikes highlight the complex and divided perspectives within Nigeria on foreign military intervention in the country’s security challenges.
While Sheikh Gumi views the strikes as an infringement on sovereignty and a potential catalyst for further conflict, Senator Tambuwal urges calm and cooperation with security authorities, and Benue tribal leaders see the intervention as a welcome relief and call for its expansion.
The reactions also reflect the different security realities across Nigeria’s regions, with areas like Benue in the Middle Belt experiencing different forms of insecurity compared to the North West where the strikes reportedly occurred.
As the Federal Government continues to maintain that the strikes were carried out with Nigeria’s full cooperation and based on Nigerian intelligence, the domestic debate over the appropriateness and implications of U.S. military involvement in Nigeria appears set to continue.
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