Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has dismissed allegations that Nigeria is experiencing a Christian genocide, pointing to the religious backgrounds of the nation’s top security officials as evidence against such claims.
Speaking in a recent video, Gumi questioned the logic behind accusations of systematic religious persecution when Christians occupy key defense positions. “Today now, the minister of defence is a Christian. The chief of defence staff is a Christian,” he stated. “Will they be killing Christians?”
The cleric was responding to earlier remarks attributed to former United States President Donald Trump, who had characterized Nigeria as hostile to Christians. Gumi rejected these claims as politically and religiously motivated rather than factually grounded.
He argued that Nigeria’s insecurity issues should not be misrepresented as government-sponsored religious violence. “So it’s not the government that does it,” Gumi emphasized, insisting that the country’s security challenges stem from other causes.
Addressing reports of foreign military operations linked to counterterrorism efforts in Nigeria, Gumi suggested these actions were not sanctioned by the Nigerian government. “Even the recent bombardments, I don’t think it is the government that invited them,” he said. “They forced themselves.”
The Islamic scholar also criticized Trump directly, describing him as religiously prejudiced and citing his immigration policies as evidence of bias. “From the pronouncement of Trump, you know that he is just a bigot, a religious [prejudiced person],” Gumi said. “You see what happens in America itself, whereby those who are immigrants are really facing his wrath now.”
Gumi suggested that Trump’s characterization of events in Nigeria serves as a pretext for potential intervention. “We can understand then that this man has some ulterior motives when he declares that Nigeria has a Christian genocide—to use that as a smoke screen to attack us,” he stated.
The cleric concluded by questioning the military justification for any such actions, asserting they lack clear strategic basis.
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