Popular Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has defended the application of Sharia law in Nigeria, insisting that it remains the exclusive prerogative of Muslims.
Gumi was reacting to reports that some members of the United States Congress had submitted a request to Donald Trump, urging him to push for the abolition of Sharia and blasphemy laws in Nigeria.
In posts shared on his verified social media page, the Kaduna-based cleric maintained that Muslims have the right to be governed by their religious injunctions without external interference.
He described Sharia law as a matter of religious freedom and self-determination for Muslims.
“Shariah Law is the Muslims’ prerogative just as the US found it only necessary to protect the Christians,” he wrote.
His remarks come amid renewed international attention on religious laws in Nigeria, particularly in some northern states where Sharia operates alongside the conventional legal system.
Gumi also alleged that Muslims in Nigeria have been victims of what he described as “occult terror” imported into the country by unnamed forces.
“At the same time, Muslims are more victims of this occult terror imported into the country by hidden forces they very well know,” he stated.
Although he did not specify the forces he referenced, the comment aligns with his long-standing views on security and religious tensions in the country.
In another post, he questioned what he described as a double standard in global discussions on religion and governance.
“It’s ok for US evangelical Christians administration for Israel to live by biblical stories yet Haram for Muslims to live by the Quranic injunctions,” he wrote.
Sharia law operates in several northern states in Nigeria, primarily in matters relating to personal status, family law and other civil issues affecting Muslims. It exists alongside Nigeria’s conventional legal framework and applies only to adherents of Islam in those states.
