By Our Reporter
While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had designated Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda Awati Wal Jihad, popular BokoHaram, The Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, Ansaru Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fibiladis Sudan, Lakurawa, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Eastern Security network, ESN, and other violent Organisations as terrorists, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, a medical doctor and an Army Brig. Gen. rtd, who incidentally is a Muslim Cleric, thinks differently.
It would be recalled that going by President Tinubu’s new security doctrine, ‘’any individual wielding lethal weapons without state authorization will be treated as terrorists’’. The Nigerian President who was said to have made himself clear, had said that ‘’Bandits carrying arms and terrorizing communities in in any part of Nigeria would be treated as terrorists.
He may have alluded, particular, to the violent organization fighters in the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina and the north central states of Kwara, Niger, Benue, Plateau including those operating in the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe, linked to the Sahelian countries of Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Malian foreign sponsored terrorists.
Sheikh Gumi, a Muslim, Cleric, who had been described in both official and unofficial quarters as ‘’Nigeria’s alternate President’’, would not take it that the Violent groups, operating in northern parts of Nigeria including the Bandits group are terrorist, describing them ‘’as freedom fighters and not terrorists’’. He may shocked Nigerians in his recent remarks that the suspected ‘’kill and go terrorists operating in Nigeria are our children’’ insisting that ‘’they are going nowhere’’, which many had seen as a bad advertisement to the Islamic religion.
Going by President Tinubu’s new security doctrine, ‘’religious Leaders who encourage or justify terror, including politicians who facilitate or encourage violence and traditional rulers who enable or protect terrorist, or Community Leaders who facilitate violent actions across the country, would not escape the long arm of the Law as they would be treated as terrorists.
Nigerians would want President Tinubu, to muster the political will to arrest and detain Sheikh Gumi, who had been involved in negotiation on behalf of the Terrorist gangs in to facilitate release of kidnapped victims.
The Islamic Cleric may have taken over from where Late former President Muhammadu Buharri, who had at one time being appointed by the Boko Haram insurgents as their negotiator with the special security Committee that was said to have been set up by the Bayelsa state born former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to resolve the security challenges in the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe, but not much was achieved.
This time around, President Tinubu, appears to be following the foot teps of his predecessor, Buhari, may not have wanted to step on powerful toes in the north that he had supported President Donald Trump of the North American country of the United States, US, who had declared Nigeria ‘’as a country of concern’’ because of the indiscriminate killing of Christians by the violent Jihadist groups.
Sheikh Gumi, who could no longer sit by and watch the US, pilot fighters who are collaborating with the Nigerian military crush the Bandits-linked ISIS, IN Sokoto state, was said to have asked the government ‘’to discontinue the American, military intervention in fighting terrorism in Nigeria’’, saying that ‘’it will attract anti-US forces to Nigeria and make the country a theatre of war’’.
The revered Islamic scholar, may have alluded to the intervention of the Asia country of Iran, which had fought a 12-day war with the state of Irael, which had the backing of US, President Trump, to secure the Nigerian based terrorists.
Ahmad Aliyu, governor, of Sokoto state had confirmed that the American fighter aircrafts had targeted the terrorists’ enclaves in the Tangaza local government during the December 25, 25, operation but no civilian casualty.
Ibrahim Babangida an Army General and a one -time Nigerian military President, would not want Tinubu to bow to pressures to agree to the killer terrorists pleading to surrender as they could no longer bear the superior firepower of the Nigerian military and the US, collaborators, who provides the intelligence, ‘’until every one of them is neutralized and eliminated’’.
There are indications that the suspected terrorists which had entered Sokoto state forest through the Sahelian countries of Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Mali, corridor, are relocating following the missile attacks carried out by the US and the Nigerian AirForce, NAF.
. The Federal Government had said there was no cause for Nigerians to worry about the US attack in terrorists’ enclaves in Sokoto state as it gave the country the support to do so, noting that’’ the strikes are carried out in targeted areas being used by the terrorists in the Caliphate state’’.
It would be recalled that an aggrieved Sheikh Gumi, had said that ‘’ no mater how hard the US, pilot bombers hit at the terrorist enclaves in Nigeria, and giving the experience in other parts of the world, including the advance nations which had continued to grapple with their own security challenges, that ‘’ no government can completely eliminate terrorism’’, meaning that the US and the Nigerian AirForce , pilot fighters , should stop bombing the terrorists enclaves bt go ahead to negotiate with the them.
Perhaps to get another country to also join the US, in the military attacks against the terrorists may have why the Nigerian Army and its Turkish counterpart have pledged ‘’ to strengthen military bilateral relations to tackle terrorism’’.
Note that President Tinubu, who had been under intense criticism, since December 10, 2025, for giving approval to the Leadership of National Revenue Service,, NRS, formerly Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, under the close watch of Zacch Odedeji, for engaging the France Tax Authority, , to manage the country’s new tax Law, expected to take effect in 2026, appears to have taken advantage of his holidaying in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre during the Christmas, to speak out.
At a meeting with the Leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, on Friday, December 26, 2025, he was said to have told them that the Federal Government had also sought the help of Turkey in tackling the insecurity challenges currently facing the country.
Many believes that Tinubu, who do not want to lose his 2027, reelection bid to the Opposition, African Democratic Party, ADP, , may have taken the bold initiative to seek the support of the Turkish country to fight Terrorism in Nigeria to meet the demands of the northern elders including the likes of Nasir El-Rufai, a former minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, during Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration and now Chieftain of ADC, and Sheikh Gumi, who are opposed to US, strikes on terrorists enclaves in the northern part of Nigeria.
Let us hope that the intervention of Turkey as well, in tackling Terrorism challenges facing Nigeria would force the northern Leaders to sheath their sward and support every effort being made by the Tinubu’s Administration to end terrorism in Nigeria.
