Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has attributed Nigeria's worsening insecurity to decades of neglect of the country's poor, claiming this marginalisation has made vulnerable populations easy targets for manipulation by external forces. In a Facebook post published Thursday, the Islamic cleric pointed to widening socio-economic gaps as a root cause of unrest, arguing that systemic inequality has allowed foreign interests to exploit disenfranchised communities. Gumi stated that the political class has remained indifferent to the plight of ordinary citizens, allowing conditions to deteriorate unchecked. He described the current security crisis not as a sudden development but as a direct consequence of long-standing social neglect and policy failures. According to Gumi, poverty and lack of opportunity have created fertile ground for radicalisation and criminality, particularly among youth. He urged the government to address the structural imbalances that fuel discontent rather than relying solely on military responses. The cleric called for inclusive governance and equitable resource distribution as essential steps toward lasting peace.
When Sheikh Gumi says insecurity stems from ignoring the poor, he is placing blame not on insurgents but on Nigeria's leadership class — a rare public indictment of elite detachment. His assertion that foreign actors exploit local deprivation suggests that military crackdowns alone cannot fix a crisis rooted in inequality. If the state continues to treat poverty as a background issue rather than a national security threat, no amount of surveillance or force will bring stability. This reframing shifts the conversation from bullets to policy, and that shift is long overdue.
