Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has condemned the U.S. military bombing of terrorists in Sokoto on Christmas Day, describing it as a war against Islam.

In a statement in response to the U.S. military strike against terrorists on Friday, Mr Gumi said, “The attacks are symbolic of a harbinger (of a) neo-Crusade war against Islam. Attack on Sokoto, where 90% are Muslim with no imminent danger of terror, while the real threat is in Maiduguri and on a Christmas Eve, with the claim of protecting against Christian genocide, says a lot.”

The Muslim cleric, who has continually opposed military action against bandits and terrorists, said, “The U.S. involvement in Nigeria will attract the real anti-U.S. forces, making our land the theater of war. The USA’s involvement in Nigeria, citing coming to ‘protect Christians’, will ultimately polarise our nation and infringe on our sovereignty.”

Berating the U.S. as a terrorist nation, Mr Gumi said terrorists should be killed only by “holy hands, not by another terrorist whose hands are stained with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent children, women, and men just recently”.

“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies,” stated Mr Gumi. “If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” Mr Gumi said.

The Islamist called on President Bola Tinubu’s government to “halt all military cooperation with the USA immediately because of its imperial tendencies worldwide, and seek the help of those neutral countries mentioned”.

“Nigerians are too educated to be played with,” he stated. “This is going to be a 2027 campaign discourse.”

“Dropping a few bombs here and there cannot tackle the menace of terror; they need serious military on the ground, which, if we are serious, we have enough men to do that. We call on all villages affected to upload videos and pictures of any casualties involved.”

Meanwhile, U.S. lawmaker Riley Moore has said the bombing of terrorists in the country by President Donald Trump is the beginning of an effort to end Christian genocide in the country.

“President Trump has been clear that the killing of Christians in Nigeria must end. As I stated at the outset: Do not test President Trump‘s resolve in this matter. Tonight’s strike in coordination with the Nigerian government is just the first step to ending the slaughter of Christians and the security crisis affecting all Nigerians,” Mr Moore said. “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries!”

The U.S. lawmaker added, “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”