Former military leader warns that self-proclaimed clerics and “notorious hooligans” are damaging Islam’s image as northern Muslim youths openly repudiate Gumi’s call to tolerate herdsmen violence.
IBB Warns of Damage to Islam and National Peace
Former military president Ibrahim Babangida has cautioned against what he described as the growing influence of “fake self-proclaimed clerics” and “notorious hooligans,” warning that their actions are damaging the image of Islam in northern Nigeria and undermining national peace.
In a statement published on his official X account, Babangida stressed that Islam has historically been a religion of peace in Nigeria, particularly during the period he was in office. He warned, however, that continued tolerance of voices perceived as encouraging disorder, moral confusion, or sympathy for violence could further aggravate insecurity across the country.
His remarks, first reported by Prime Business Africa, reflect mounting concern within sections of Nigeria’s political and security establishment that religious authority is being misused in ways that blur the moral boundary between grievance and criminality.
Arewa Youths Turn on Sheikh Gumi
Babangida’s intervention comes amid escalating criticism of Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi by northern Muslim youths and civil groups following comments he made on December 27 urging Nigerians to “learn to live with” Fulani herdsmen.
The remarks triggered a wave of anger across the North-West and parts of the Middle Belt, regions that have suffered years of deadly banditry, mass kidnappings, and village attacks. Critics argue that such statements appear to normalise violence that has claimed thousands of lives since 2011.
Videos circulating widely on social media show Arewa youth groups publicly condemning Gumi, accusing him of sympathising with armed groups linked to killings, abductions, and the destruction of rural communities. The youths argue that portraying perpetrators as victims and prioritising negotiation over accountability weakens the fight against insecurity and distorts Islamic teachings.
Growing Rift Within Northern Muslim Communities
The backlash against Gumi highlights a widening rift within northern Muslim communities. Several youth organisations and civic groups have distanced themselves from his views, reaffirming that Islam does not condone violence against civilians or criminal activity under any pretext.
This shift is notable in a region where clerics traditionally command significant moral authority. Analysts say the open repudiation by Arewa youths reflects deepening frustration with the prolonged security crisis and a demand for clearer moral leadership that aligns religious values with justice and public safety.
US Airstrikes and a Hardening Security Mood As Gumi Defends “Dialogue”
The backlash against Gumi’s remarks is unfolding against a backdrop of intensifying military responses to insecurity, including recent US airstrikes targeting ISIS-linked elements operating in northern Nigeria. The strikes, carried out in coordination with Nigerian security authorities, marked a rare instance of direct American kinetic action on Nigerian soil and underscored growing international concern over the resilience and reach of jihadist and bandit-linked networks in the region.
The intervention has contributed to a hardening public mood in the North, where communities that have borne the brunt of killings, kidnappings, and displacement are increasingly sceptical of narratives that appear to normalise violence or prioritise dialogue over accountability. For many northern youths, the symbolism of foreign airstrikes — following years of local suffering — has reinforced the view that insecurity has reached a stage requiring decisive force rather than accommodation.
It is within this context that Gumi’s long-standing defence of dialogue with armed groups has drawn sharper scrutiny. While he has consistently portrayed himself as a mediator seeking pragmatic pathways to peace, critics argue that such positions sit uneasily with a moment defined by escalating military action, both domestic and international, against non-state armed groups.
IBB’s warning therefore resonates beyond clerical politics. It aligns with a broader shift in Nigeria’s security discourse — one in which moral ambiguity is increasingly viewed as a liability, and religious voices are expected to reinforce, rather than dilute, the ethical clarity underpinning counter-banditry and counterterrorism efforts. As insecurity persists and external partners take a more visible role, the debate over clerical influence is becoming inseparable from Nigeria’s wider national security strategy.