Controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has accused certain groups in Nigeria’s Middle Belt of staging fake mass burials by burying empty coffins to promote a false narrative of Christian genocide.
Gumi made the allegation on his verified Facebook page while responding to criticism over his stay in Turkey, which has drawn attention amid global discussions about the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria. His comments came shortly after former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Christians are being killed in the country.
Quoting a message he said he received from a doctor, Gumi wrote: “Some Middle Belt Christian groups are now staging fake mass killings. They are burying empty coffins and recording the process as if real victims were killed, just to push the narrative of a Christian genocide. This is desperation at its peak. A disgrace. Manipulating information just to provoke hatred and international sympathy.”
The Kaduna-based cleric also dismissed claims that he left Nigeria to avoid potential U.S. military intervention, insisting that his trip to Turkey had been planned weeks before Trump’s statement. “I got my Turkish visa on 16 October 2025, and Trump’s tweet alleging ‘Christian genocide’ in Nigeria was on 1 November 2025. Yet some people concoct lies and believe them. Trump has no power over us; it’s just your mind bowing down to him in worship,” he said.
Gumi described the genocide allegations as a deliberate attempt to discredit Islam and undermine the enforcement of Sharia law in northern Nigeria. “After the fog has cleared, the alleged ‘Christian genocide’ is part of a calculated effort to attack Sharia law and promote Islamophobia,” he added.
He further urged President Bola Tinubu to take diplomatic action, calling Trump’s statement a “direct affront” to Nigeria’s sovereignty. Gumi recommended that the federal government summon the U.S. ambassador and demand a formal retraction, warning that Nigeria should consider severing ties if the request is ignored.
“President Tinubu should summon the U.S. ambassador; they either retract their threats or we sever diplomatic ties with this irresponsible regime,” Gumi said. He also stressed that Nigeria should diversify its foreign relations, noting that “the world is no longer unipolar” and the country “has friends elsewhere who respect our sovereignty.”