Renowned Nigerian Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has reacted to reports that he may be among several Nigerian officials and religious leaders targeted for sanctions by the United States government over the alleged promotion of blasphemy laws and tolerance of religious violence in the North.
Speaking from Turkey on Tuesday, Sheikh Gumi told journalists that he had not received any official communication regarding the matter but would not be surprised if his name was included.
“Well, I didn’t even know they mentioned my name. I haven’t seen it in the papers, and no one communicated it to me. But it’s not surprising; anyone who speaks against cutting ties with America, of course they wouldn’t like him. May God protect us,” the controversial Islamic cleric told Daily Post in a phone conversation yesterday.
Earlier in a live video streamed on his Facebook page on Sunday, Naijaonpoint reports that Gumi dismissed the reported sanctions as “a distraction” and urged Nigerians to promote religious harmony.
“Let us live in peace. If we live peacefully, the evil plans of the West will not succeed against us,” Gumi said.
“Do not worry about their noise. Allah will not grant them victory. We must hold firmly to our religion and fear Allah. It is not by killing Christians or insulting them; they are our partners in nation-building,” he added.
Filming from the historic Haifa Mosque in Sofia, Turkey, Gumi cited the mosque’s transformation from a church as a lesson in tolerance.
“This mosque used to be a church,” he said, “but today it stands as a symbol of peace and coexistence, not war. That is what good relationship brings.”
Naijaonpoint reports that the United States government has proposed a law seeking to sanction certain northern governors, judges, traditional rulers, and clerics accused of promoting or enforcing blasphemy laws and enabling religious violence in Nigeria.
The bill, currently before the U.S. Congress, mandates the Secretary of State to, within 90 days of passage, submit a list of Nigerian officials who may face visa bans, asset freezes, and financial restrictions under Executive Order 13818, a key component of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability framework.
The legislation targets “judges, magistrates, prison officials, or other judicial and law enforcement authorities who have enforced blasphemy laws” or tolerated mob killings on religious grounds.
12 Northern States Named
Naijaonpoint reports that the bill identifies 12 northern states: Zamfara, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kaduna, Niger, and Gombe, where Sharia law has been expanded since 1999 to include criminal and public morality provisions.
It accuses certain political and religious figures in these states of fostering “a culture of impunity” and discriminating against minority religious groups through the enforcement of blasphemy laws.
The proposed sanctions follow years of global outrage over blasphemy-related killings and prosecutions in Nigeria.
High-profile cases include those of Mubarak Bala, Yahaya Sharif, Sheikh Abduljabbar Kabara, and Deborah Samuel, a student murdered in Sokoto in 2022 for alleged blasphemy. Others, such as Roda Jatau in Bauchi and Christina Oluwatoyin in Gombe, have faced similar persecution.
Several human-rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Humanists International, have called for the abolition of blasphemy-related death penalties and stronger protections for freedom of belief and expression.
Sharia Implementation and Blasphemy Debate
Naijaonpoint reports that Sharia, rooted in Islamic jurisprudence, has existed in northern Nigeria for centuries, but between 1999 and 2000, states such as Zamfara under Governor Ahmad Sani Yerima expanded its scope to include criminal law.
Within two years, 11 other states followed, establishing Sharia courts alongside secular judicial systems.
Critics argue that these laws, while reflecting local religious values, contradict Nigeria’s constitutional guarantee of religious freedom and equality before the law.
However, as of Wednesday, November 12, 2025, none of the 12 northern governors named in the U.S. bill had issued a statement on the matter. Efforts by DAILY POST to reach their media aides were unsuccessful.
The proposed bill still awaits full approval by the U.S. Congress and the President’s assent. If passed, it would mark the first time Washington imposes sanctions on Nigerian officials over religious freedom violations.
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