Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has criticised controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi over his continued defence of terrorists, asserting that the cleric’s public statements reflect the government’s approval of insecurity in Nigeria.
Effiong’s remarks came in response to Gumi’s recent attack on the United States, following President Donald Trump’s threat of possible military action in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
In a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Effiong said Gumi’s repeated freedom to make “provocative and sympathetic” statements towards terrorists was evidence of official complicity in the country’s security challenges.
“Gumi’s audacity and brazenness is evidence that the Nigerian government has a hand in what’s going on,” Effiong wrote.
Earlier, during an Arise TV interview, Gumi criticised the U.S., describing it as a “nation of liars” with a history of hypocrisy and destructive interference abroad.
“America are known to be liars,” he said. “They said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, and there were none. They have caused confusion in Iraq, in Libya, and everywhere. So when they say they want to help Nigeria by bombing terrorists, I don’t believe them.”
Gumi warned that any U.S.-led military strike on Nigerian soil could result in heavy civilian casualties, noting that Nigeria’s complex social fabric would make such operations counterproductive.
“These terrorists have infiltrated the society,” he said. “So it’s going to cause more damage. More Muslims and more Christians will be killed if America drops a bomb in Nigeria. What we are trying to avoid, we will end up compounding.”
The cleric reiterated that dialogue, rather than force, is the only path to lasting peace, defending his previous interactions with armed groups in northern Nigeria.
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