Controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of cheating northerners and partnering with Israelis to exterminate Muslims in Nigeria. 

Mr Gumi, an advocate for bandits, made the statement in a viral video of his sermon in which he reacted to rumours that Nyesom Wike, FCT minister, plans to demolish part of Abuja Central Mosque. 

In Hausa language, Mr Gumi said, “The Minister of the FCT is a Satanic person; I said it before when he was appointed, and some people were grumbling. He has gone and brought the Israeli Ambassador; that’s what someone sent, and I am yet to watch it.”

“I am not sure. But what is confirmed is he said they will collaborate with the Israelis on Abuja’s security issues. Abuja will now become like Tel Aviv, and when they see anyone with a beard like us, they will say it is Bin Laden; go and kill him,” Mr Gumi added, providing no evidence to support his claims. 

Mr Gumi berated supporters of the Muslim-Muslim ticket that produced Mr Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as president and vice president, respectively, calling them “hypocrites and worthless” people who are silent as Israelis take over Abuja’s security.

The cleric said Mr Tinubu deceived northerners with a Muslim-Muslim ticket to win the election, adding that though northerners are ministers of defence, northern Muslims have no control of state arms and munitions.

“One Miyetti Allah leader came and told me that if they come to me with a proposal of negotiation with bandits, I should not be part of it, that I should leave it alone. It is a decoy. Muslims are the heads of the Ministry of Defence; of what significance is it?” he stated.

“The real people in charge of command and control, those holding the guns and shooting, are we the ones? We are not the ones; they are playing us. There is an agenda. All means of money and economic power have been hijacked by them; they are planning to deceive us for four years and get eight years. They will not, Insha Allah,” the cleric said. 

The spokesperson for the SSS, Peter Afunnaya, declined Peoples Gazette’s request for comments on Mr Gumi’s remarks. A WhatsApp message sent to Mr Afunnaya was read, but he has yet to respond.

When reached on Friday, the presidency also declined comment on Mr Gumi’s inflammatory statements.

Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Congress, in a statement on Friday, condemned Mr Gumi’s inciting statement, calling on security agencies not to allow it to be swept under the carpet.

“We find it incredulous that ethnoreligious extremists and terrorist sympathisers like Sheikh Gumi have been allowed by Nigeria’s security agencies to run amok and continue to push extremist views targeted at people of South-South extraction of Nigeria without caution,” the statement read in part.

Northern Nigeria has been rocked by several ethnoreligious skirmishes that claimed many lives. Inciting statements from popular and influential religious figures like Mr Gumi could further damage the relative peace returning to a region ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency. 

Mr Gumi’s inciting statement comes despite the warning by the State Security Service against inflammatory comments that could plunge the country into chaos.