Foreign Forces Are Empowering Terrorists In Nigeria— Sheikh Gumi

Prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Mahmoud Gumi has expressed renewed concern over what he believes to be the hidden involvement of powerful foreign nations in Nigeria’s lingering insecurity.

In an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, monitored in Kaduna, Gumi said recent patterns of attacks across the country indicate possible external backing for armed groups.

He argued that the resurgence of violence contradicts earlier signs that national security was improving.

The cleric cited the Abuja–Kaduna highway—once notorious for deadly ambushes—as an example, noting that the route had recently become significantly safer before the latest spike in assaults.

He also pointed to Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State, where farmers who had previously fled their farmlands due to bandit threats had begun returning, signalling a brief period of stability.

Gumi said the sudden reversal in these improvements raises troubling questions about the true forces behind the violence.

He urged the federal government to deepen intelligence gathering, strengthen diplomatic efforts, and thoroughly investigate any external connections that may be fuelling insecurity across the country.