Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has warned against involving the United States in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations, saying such a move could attract international terror groups into the country.

Gumi made the remark in a Facebook post on Monday, insisting that Nigeria’s sovereignty “is a red line” and that the nation’s security challenges can be addressed by its own military if operations are conducted without “prejudices and deception.”

According to the cleric, the Nigerian military possesses the capacity to tackle insurgency and banditry if the rules of engagement and operational funding are properly managed.

“The military can handle the situation if the rules of engagement are free from prejudices and deception, both in the application of force and finances,” he wrote.

Gumi also rejected claims that amnesty initiatives had prevented security agencies from confronting bandits and Boko Haram insurgents, describing such assertions as “false and malicious.”

He argued that Boko Haram has continued to operate nearly 17 years after the extra-judicial killing of its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009.

The cleric further blamed the failure of the kinetic approach on alleged excesses by security personnel and the killing of innocent civilians during operations.

“The involvement of the USA will only attract international terror groups to the ‘new arena,’ exposing Nigeria to an unnecessary increase in violence,” he added.