Islamic scholar and former Nigerian Army captain, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has questioned the timing of America’s sudden concern about violence in Nigeria, noting that killings have been occurring in the country for over a decade without previous U.S. intervention. He stressed that the insecurity plaguing Nigeria today is cumulative, tracing it back to the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, when Boko Haram took up arms against the state after being attacked by government forces.
Speaking on Trust TV’s Daybreak program from 2:32, Sheikh Gumi stated that the violence in Nigeria cuts across religion and ethnicity, affecting everyone equally. However, he described it as suspicious that the United States has now decided to list Nigeria as a country of particular concern after years of escalating killings. He questioned why Washington, after more than a decade of silence, has suddenly expressed alarm and threatened possible military action.
Sheikh Gumi attributed America’s renewed interest in Nigeria to broader geopolitical motives. He highlighted the U.S. failure to establish a strong military presence in the Sahel region and suggested that this strategic setback may have shifted Washington’s attention toward Nigeria. He also pointed to America’s historical pattern of pursuing resource-driven interventions, comparing the situation to Iraq, where conflict was followed by resource extraction. According to him, various explanations proposed by Nigerian intellectuals—ranging from economic to geopolitical—collectively point to strategic self-interest rather than humanitarian concern. Gumi concluded that Nigeria’s turn has come to face American pressure, a move he believes is calculated and not driven by compassion.
“Sheikh Ahmad Gumi said: The killings in Nigeria, irrespective of religion or ethnicity, involve everyone. It has been happening for a long time since Jonathan’s or Buhari’s era, when Boko Haram were attacked and took up arms. So why now? Why is America suddenly concerned about Nigeria? That’s the question. Many issues are involved in this. Why do they want to concentrate on Nigeria now and consider attacking it? I think it’s because of their failure in the Sahel region. They want to establish a military base in Nigeria. They want our resources, just as they did in Iraq. All the reasons proposed by Nigerian intellectuals are valid. So this is simply their time now.” View, More,
Explore More News By Using The Button.