Popular Kaduna-based cleric Sheikh Abubakar Gumi has reacted to the recent United States military operations in Nigeria’s North-West, warning that President Donald Trump will pursue terrorists wherever they are hiding in the world. Gumi, who spoke during a fresh interview reported by Daily Post on Thursday, March 19, 2026, also made the striking claim that Nigerian authorities already know the identities and locations of those responsible for the insecurity ravaging the region.
The cleric said the American approach to dealing with terrorism is very different from what Nigerians are used to seeing from their own government. He noted that the recent air operations in the North-West have sent a strong message that the global fight against terrorism is intensifying and that no hiding place is safe anymore. Gumi, who has long been known for his controversial engagements with bandits and his push for dialogue as a path to peace, admitted that the pressure on terrorist groups around the world is now reaching a boiling point.
In his words, Gumi said, “It is very clear to the world that Trump would go after terrorists anywhere they are hiding in the world to destroy them.” He went further to claim that those in authority already know who the troublemakers in the forests are and where they operate from, a statement that has sparked heated conversations across social media and in communities most affected by the crisis.
The US military operations in Nigeria’s North-West mark a significant and unprecedented development in the country’s long-running battle with banditry and terrorism. For years, communities in states like Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger have lived under the constant threat of kidnappings, killings, and displacement by armed groups operating from forest hideouts. The involvement of a foreign military power on Nigerian soil has added a new and sensitive dimension to the conversation, raising questions about sovereignty, the capacity of Nigeria’s own security forces, and the true extent of what the government knows about the criminal networks responsible for the violence.
Gumi’s claim that the authorities already know the identities and locations of the terrorists has drawn sharp reactions from Nigerians, particularly those in affected communities. Many are asking why the crisis has been allowed to drag on for so many years if the information truly exists. Others see the US involvement as proof that local efforts have not been enough and welcome any intervention that could bring relief to families who have suffered for too long.
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