Controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Mahmoud Gumi has alleged that powerful foreign nations are covertly sponsoring terrorist activities responsible for Nigeria’s protracted security crisis.
Speaking to the BBC Hausa Service, Sheikh Gumi pointed to what he described as a “sudden reversal” of recent security improvements as evidence of external interference.
He cited the Abuja–Kaduna highway, which had become significantly safer in recent months, and the return of farmers to their fields in previously terror-ridden areas like Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.
“The situation on the ground contradicts earlier gains,” Gumi stated. “When you see marked improvement and then a sudden, coordinated surge in violence, it raises serious questions. The patterns suggest these armed groups are receiving support from external powers.”
The cleric did not name specific countries but urged the Nigerian government to enhance intelligence operations and deepen diplomatic engagements to identify and scrutinise all foreign links to the violence.
“It is no longer enough to look inward. The government must look outward, trace the sources of funding, weapons, and propaganda that are sustaining this chaos,” he added.
Spear News reports that Sheikh Gumi’s allegations come against a backdrop of a deeply entrenched and multifaceted security crisis in Nigeria. While long grappling with the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, the country has seen a catastrophic expansion of violence in recent years.
In the Northwest and North Central regions, loosely organised bandit militias have escalated from cattle rustling and kidnapping for ransom to occupying forests, attacking communities, and shutting down schools and agriculture.
These groups have become increasingly sophisticated in their operations and weaponry.
Simultaneously, separatist agitation in the Southeast by groups like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has led to frequent attacks on security forces and public infrastructure.
The cumulative effect has been devastating. According to crisis monitoring groups, thousands of civilians have been killed or abducted in 2024 alone. Millions have been internally displaced, creating a severe humanitarian disaster.
Vast swathes of farmland have been abandoned, contributing to food insecurity and soaring prices. The crisis has stretched the military and police thin across multiple theatres of conflict, often leaving communities to fend for themselves.
While the government has repeatedly asserted that terrorism is homegrown and driven by local grievances, poverty, and porous borders, allegations of external support have surfaced periodically from security analysts and officials.
These claims often point to the flow of illegal arms from regional conflict zones and the influence of global jihadist networks.
Sheikh Gumi’s public declaration, however, places the allegation of direct state sponsorship into mainstream discourse with renewed force, challenging the official narrative and calling for a significant shift in the nation’s counter-terrorism strategy.
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