Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, says Nigeria should immediately stop all military cooperation with the United States following America’s airstrikes on ISIS terrorists on Christmas Day.

Gumi, in a post on his Facebook page, warned that any foreign military intervention, particularly by the United States, would exacerbate insecurity rather than resolve it.

“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,” he wrote on Friday.

The cleric asked the Federal Government to instead seek military assistance from those he described as more “neutral” countries, such as China, Turkey, and Pakistan.

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While acknowledging that fighting terrorism is legitimate, Gumi believes that such efforts must not be outsourced to foreign powers that have ulterior motives.

He said, “The US involvement in Nigeria will attract the real anti-US forces, making our land the theatre of war. As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theatre of war, and no nation should allow its neighbours to be their enemies.”

“Annihilating terrorists is an Islamic obligation,” he said, citing a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). “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 him, relying on the United States to combat terrorism in Nigeria is a “mistake,” arguing that “terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.”

Gumi claimed that US involvement, particularly under the pretext of protecting Christians, could deepen religious divisions and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“The USA’s involvement in Nigeria, citing coming to ‘protect Christians’, will ultimately polarise our nation and infringe on our sovereignty,” he said.

The cleric argued that airstrikes alone are insufficient in addressing insecurity.

“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,” he said, calling on affected communities to document and share evidence of any civilian casualties.

Gumi also raised concerns about what he described as the symbolism of the strike, alleging it could fuel religious tensions.

“The attacks are symbolic of a harbinger of a neo-Crusade war against Islam,” he claimed. “An attack on Sokoto, where over 90 per cent 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.”

Gumi’s remarks followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States had carried out a “powerful and deadly” military strike against ISIS terrorists in North-West Nigeria.

Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the operation, which targeted militants responsible for the killing of “innocent Christians”, was ordered by him in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the United States.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in North-West Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump posted.

The Nigerian Government also reacted to the military operation through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying it was a collaboration.

“Nigerian authorities remain engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism.

“This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North-West,” spokesperson of the Ministry, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said in a statement on Friday.