Prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has criticized the reported move by the United States Congress to sanction the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and other related pastoral groups, warning that such actions could destabilize the country and inflame existing tensions.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV from 13:06 on Friday, November 7, 2025, Gumi said the proposed sanctions demonstrated a lack of understanding of Nigeria’s internal dynamics and accused foreign actors of attempting to sow division within the country.
When asked about the potential impact of the U.S. bill, the cleric described it as a misguided and politically motivated move. “You see, that just shows me they have another motive rather than parting the banditry. Because the bandits, they don’t — in fact, the people they hate more are the Miyetti Allah people,” Gumi stated.
He explained that the Miyetti Allah group itself had been a victim of bandit hostility and could not be reasonably linked to violent crimes perpetrated by armed herders. “Saying that when the government is killing us, when we are met with injustice, you are doing nothing to protect our rights. So they don’t listen to Miyetti Allah. Miyetti Allah has no hand in this,” he emphasized.
Gumi went further to allege that the sanctions were part of a broader geopolitical agenda designed to weaken Nigeria. “To label Miyetti Allah as part of a big conspiracy shows their intelligence is difficult, or they just want to create a narration in which they will balkanize Nigeria. What’s happening in Sudan and Libya, this is what they wanted in Nigeria, because from then they can take our resources,” he warned.
“Former governor of Bauchi State, Yuguda, was able also to go with the government delegation into the bush, and they met more than 5,000 bandits. They are all complaining. Those who have lost their parents, those who have lost their brethren, those from our hostility too,” Gumi explained. View, More,
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