Top Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has lambasted foreign powers, who he claimed are backing terrorists in Nigeria.
Sheikh Gumi dropped this allegation during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, stating that recent patterns of attacks across the country suggest external support for armed groups operating in Nigeria.
The Islamic scholar noted that the situation on the ground contradicts earlier signs of improvement in national security.
He cited the Abuja–Kaduna highway, once noted as a deadly corridor for commuters, noting that the route had become far safer in recent months before the renewed surge in violence.
According to him, farmers in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, who had long left their farmlands because of persistent threats, had gradually resumed farming activities, an indication that the security environment had shown signs of stability before the latest spike in attacks.
Gumi said that the reversal in progress raises questions that cannot be ignored, urging the Nigerian government to intensify intelligence operations, strengthen diplomatic engagements, and scrutinise all external links that may be fuelling insecurity.
