Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has claimed that the recent spate of killings in Nigeria bears the hallmarks of foreign intelligence interference rather than religious conflict.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Gumi condemned the Palm Sunday attack on Gari Ya Waye community in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, Plateau State, where more than 20 people were reportedly killed and several others injured.
He argued that the violence was part of a broader pattern of orchestrated assaults designed to destabilise the country.
“The pattern suggests a clandestine foreign intelligence operation. It has nothing to do with religion. Many unscrupulous Nigerians are willing to serve as foot soldiers for these mercenaries,” Gumi wrote.
He cited recent incidents, including the March 16 coordinated bomb blasts in Maiduguri that killed at least 23 Muslims, and the March 29 attack in Jos that targeted Christians during Palm Sunday worship, while mentioning repeated assaults on Nigerian soldiers.
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Gumi urged authorities to reject foreign involvement in Nigeria’s security architecture, warning against reliance on powers he accused of disregarding human life.
Instead, he called for cooperation with “benign superpowers” that respect sovereignty, offering satellite intelligence and military equipment while Nigeria builds its own capacity.
“All these besides the numerous members of the army that were attacked and killed.
“We need to look ‘out of the box’ and refuse foreign involvement in our security architecture, especially of those known to have no morals of the sanctity of shedding innocent blood as we saw in the Gaza genocide,” he added.
The cleric prayed for healing for the injured and comfort for families mourning loved ones, stressing that the bloodshed must be confronted with unity and vigilance.