Foreign hand may be behind attacks on worshippers – Gumi

 

Controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has said foreign involvement in recent terror attacks on worshippers in Nigeria cannot be ruled out, warning that the country may be a target of clandestine external operations.

Gumi, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said Nigeria remains on the radar of some Western countries, which he claimed could be seeking to justify foreign intervention under the guise of insecurity.

He made the assertion while reacting to allegations by a Kaduna-based activist, Mahdi Shehu, who accused a former United States envoy, Russell Hanks, of masterminding the bombing of a bookshop at Durbar Hotel, Kaduna, in 1995 during the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha.

According to Gumi, the former diplomat has never publicly addressed the allegation, raising questions about possible foreign interference in Nigeria’s security challenges.

“Terror attacks on worshippers: don’t rule out foreign involvement,” Gumi wrote. “We can vividly remember the American ex-envoy, Russell Hanks, who was accused by Kaduna-based activist, Mahdi Shehu, of masterminding the bombing of a bookshop at Durbar Hotel, Kaduna, in 1995 during the Abacha regime.”

He added that Nigeria’s strategic importance makes it vulnerable to covert actions aimed at weakening its sovereignty and gaining access to its resources.

“The aim is our sovereignty and wealth. Nigeria being a country of concern puts it on their radar for clandestine operations to justify the need for intervention,” he said.

Gumi further claimed that similar tactics are being deployed in other countries, noting that global attention is currently shifting towards Venezuela.

“This is how embassies can be used to evade scrutiny,” the cleric added.

Sheikh Gumi has, in the past, courted controversy over his views on insecurity, banditry and negotiations with armed groups in the country.