Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi has issued a stark warning to President Bola Tinubu, cautioning that any form of foreign military intervention in Nigeria’s counter‑terrorism operations will attract international terrorist networks and transform the country into a new battleground for global extremist groups. In a Facebook post on Monday, May 18, 2026, Gumi reacted to the announcement by the Defence Headquarters that the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) had participated in a joint operation that killed Abu‑Bilal al‑Minuki, described by US President Donald Trump as the “second‑in‑command of ISIS globally.”
Gumi, a former army captain who has positioned himself as a peace negotiator with bandits, argued that Nigeria’s military possesses the capacity to tackle insecurity without external assistance, provided that operations are conducted without “prejudices and deception.” He warned that the involvement of the United States would only attract international terror groups to a “new arena,” exposing Nigeria to an unnecessary increase in violence. “The involvement of the USA will only attract the international terror groups to the ‘new arena’ exposing Nigeria to an unnecessary increase in violence, in which these same foreign forces are complicit,” Gumi wrote.
The cleric also criticised Nigerians who support foreign intervention, describing some citizens as having a “slave mentality” ready to surrender the country’s sovereignty to external interests. “Nigerians especially a section of them are not just gullible but have a slave mentality ever ready to hand over the sovereignty of our dear nation to foreign interests. We have to resist foreign subjugation and disgrace,” he said. He maintained that Nigeria’s sovereignty “is a red line” and cautioned against what he described as attempts to hand over the nation’s security challenges to foreign powers.
Gumi’s statement came just days after the Defence Headquarters confirmed that al‑Minuki was killed in a joint operation on May 15, 2026. President Trump announced the operation on his Truth Social platform, stating that “brave American forces and the armed forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world.” Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also hailed the operation, calling it a “significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.”
The cleric, however, questioned the morality of the kinetic approach, arguing that abuses against civilians have weakened public trust and undermined the fight against terrorism. “The gross failure of the kinetic approach is chiefly attributed to the morality of our fighting force. Until innocent people are safe from our excesses in the application of the kinetic approach and our hands are not stained with the blood of innocent people, the war is going to erode our sovereignty which it has already,” he stated.
Gumi also referenced allegations involving former American diplomat Russell Hanks and comments by US Congressman Scott Perry, who alleged in February 2025 that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had inadvertently funded terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al‑Qaeda. “U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, alleged in February 2025 that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had inadvertently provided funding to terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda,” Gumi wrote, using the claim to support his argument against foreign involvement.
The cleric also lamented that nearly 17 years after the extrajudicial killing of Boko Haram founder Muhammad Yusuf in 2009, the insurgent group remains a major security threat. “Today, almost 17 years since 2009 when Muhammad Yusuf was summarily executed extra‑judicially, Boko Haram has remained a thorn in the throat of Nigerians killing high‑ranking officers,” he said. He argued that the prolonged insurgency is partly due to failures in the implementation of military operations, including what he described as abuses against civilians.
Gumi denied claims that the military had been prevented from engaging bandits or Boko Haram under the guise of amnesty, stating that such assertions are “false and malicious.” He noted that the only amnesty programme that suspended military operations was the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme introduced by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. “Never for one second has the military halted hostilities in the name of Amnesty against unrepentant terrorists except the Niger Delta militants who got a blanket Amnesty from Yar’Adua of blessed memory,” he said.
The Defence Headquarters, in its statement announcing al‑Minuki’s killing, linked the ISIS commander to the mass kidnapping of over 100 schoolgirls in Dapchi, Yobe State, including Leah Sharibu, who remains in captivity. The military described the operation as part of sustained efforts to disrupt terrorist networks, remove them from the battlefield and deny them safe havens within Nigeria.
Gumi’s warning has drawn mixed reactions. Some Nigerians have praised him for defending national sovereignty, while others have accused him of undermining the fight against terrorism and offering excuses for bandits. The Presidency had not issued an official response to Gumi’s statement at the time of this report. The Nigerian military has continued its operations in the North‑East, with the Defence Headquarters reaffirming that “there will be no safe haven for all terrorists anywhere in Nigeria.”
As the debate over foreign military intervention intensifies, Gumi has called for national unity and support for Nigeria’s armed forces, while insisting that the country must resist foreign subjugation. “The military can handle the situation if the rules of engagement are free from prejudices and deception, both in the application of force and finances,” he concluded.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments