By Oluwakemi Kindness
Islamic cleric and bandits’ negotiator, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, on Saturday reacted strongly to reports of a joint United States–Nigeria military airstrike that allegedly killed ISIS second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki in Africa.
In a statement, Gumi condemns the operation and warned against increased foreign military involvement in Nigeria, arguing that such interventions could worsen insecurity across the region.
He said it is “a religious obligation to annihilate terrorists,” but cautioned that it should not be done “with Beelzebub and hands stained with the blood of innocent men, women, and children.”
Gumi further argued that deeper US military engagement in Nigeria could heighten instability rather than resolve existing security challenges, calling for a more locally driven approach to counterinsurgency efforts.
The comments come amid reports of a joint Nigerian and US operation targeting a senior ISIS commander in the Lake Chad Basin area, an operation both governments have described as a significant counterterrorism breakthrough.
