Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has taken a swipe at controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, over his continued defence of bandits and terrorists, saying his public utterances reflect the government’s silent endorsement of insecurity in Nigeria.
Effiong’s comments followed Gumi’s criticism of the United States after former President Donald Trump threatened possible military action in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
In a post shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Effiong said Gumi’s consistent freedom to make “provocative and sympathetic” statements towards terrorists was proof that authorities were complicit in the nation’s security crisis.
“Gumi’s audacity and brazenness are evidence that the Nigerian government has a hand in what’s going on,” Effiong wrote.
Earlier, during an interview on Arise TV, Gumi had lashed out at the U.S., describing it as a “nation of liars” with a long history of hypocrisy and destructive interference in foreign countries.
“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.”
He argued that any U.S.-led military strike on Nigerian soil would lead to widespread civilian casualties, adding that the country’s complex social fabric made such operations counterproductive.
“These terrorists have infiltrated the society,” he warned. “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 maintained that dialogue, not force, remains the only path to lasting peace, defending his previous engagements with armed groups in northern Nigeria.