Renowned and controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Abubakar Gumi has said Nigeria requires external support to address its insecurity challenges but cautioned against accepting help from criminal or unethical sources.
Gumi made the remarks in a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Sunday, where he questioned the kind of foreign security assistance Nigeria is considering or willing to embrace.
The retired army officer noted that the debate should not be about whether Nigeria needs help, stressing that every country at some point depends on external support to safeguard its security.
“The argument is simple: do we need help? Yes, every nation needs help for its security, but not from criminals who don’t respect international law, racists, religious bigots, and a known international genocide enabler”, he said.
However, the Islamic scholar warned that Nigeria must be careful not to rely on individuals, groups, or nations that disregard international law or have records of criminal conduct, racism, religious intolerance, or genocide.
According to Gumi, partnering with such actors could worsen Nigeria’s security crisis rather than solve it, adding that the country should seek ethical, lawful, and principled international cooperation.
This comes as the United States military, with the support of the Nigerian military, recently launched airstrikes on a terrorist enclave in Northwest Nigeria.
