Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has claimed that killings involving herdsmen and Christian communities across Nigeria are retaliatory attacks rather than a targeted genocide against Christians.
Gumi, who posted the comments on his Facebook page on Thursday, insisted that both sides bear responsibility for the deadly clashes that have persisted for years across the Middle Belt and other parts of the country.
“The Christians at ‘fault lines’ in war with herdsmen do also attack and counterattack. They kill and they are also killed. We regret all loss of lives,” he wrote, cautioning commentators against describing the crisis as a genocide.
He cited past ethno-religious crises in Tafawa Balewa, Yalwan Shandam, Kafanchan, Zangon Kataf and Kaduna as examples of long-standing communal hostilities that have shaped current tensions.
The cleric argued that claims of a coordinated attempt to wipe out Christians were politically motivated and not supported by current realities.
“There is no Christian genocide. I was in Kano, Lagos and Ibadan in the last two days. Christians are going about their business. They are in power, economy and security outfits,” he said.
His comments come amid renewed concerns from Christian groups, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which recently declared a nationwide prayer over what it described as “Christian genocide”.
Gumi countered these fears, adding that he had been informed that some groups were staging footage to mislead the public. “Recently, I was told Christians were burying empty coffins and recording the process to stage Christian genocide,” he alleged, without providing evidence.
The cleric also opposed any form of foreign military intervention in Nigeria’s security crisis, warning that such involvement would escalate tensions and embolden armed groups.
“The only option left is to utilise our national resources equitably to educate, develop and protect all Nigerians, herdsmen included. Any foreign military intervention would only worsen the precarious situation, as nobody can control these outlawed groups on both sides,” he stated.
Gumi, who has repeatedly drawn controversy for engaging bandits and advocating amnesty for armed groups, insisted that Nigeria must address the roots of insecurity rather than rely on external solutions.
His latest comments have attracted mixed reactions online, with many Nigerians accusing him of downplaying attacks on rural Christian communities, while others say the cleric is calling for a more nuanced understanding of the conflict.
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