Prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi on Sunday called on President Bola Tinubu to cut diplomatic ties with the United States after U.S. President Donald Trump allegedly threatened military action against Nigeria over what he described as “Christian genocide.”
Gumi, in a post on his verified Facebook page, described Trump’s reported comments as a “profound disrespect” to Nigeria’s sovereignty and urged Tinubu to take a firm diplomatic stance.
“For Trump to threaten a sovereign country with military attack is a profound disrespect to our authority,” Gumi wrote. “President Tinubu should summon the U.S. ambassador; they either retract their threats or we sever diplomatic ties with this irresponsible regime.”
The cleric said Nigeria had “many other options for economic expansion and military alliance,” without specifying which countries he referred to.
There has been no official response from the Nigerian presidency or the U.S. embassy in Abuja regarding Gumi’s remarks.
Trump’s alleged statement, which has drawn widespread criticism online, claimed the United States might intervene militarily in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians — an accusation Nigerian authorities have repeatedly denied.