Middle Belt christians are “burying empty coffins” to push false narrative – Gumi claims

Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has accused certain groups in Nigeria’s Middle Belt of staging fake mass killings to promote a “false narrative” of Christian genocide. He claimed some organizations are “burying empty coffins” and recording the process as though real victims were involved.

Gumi shared the allegation on his verified Facebook page while responding to criticisms during his ongoing stay in Turkey, amid growing concerns over potential U.S. military intervention following former President Donald Trump’s comments on the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“A Doctor wrote me: Do you know that 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?” Gumi wrote.

The cleric, who continues to grant interviews from Turkey, dismissed suggestions that he traveled abroad to avoid possible U.S. action. He explained that his trip had been planned prior to Trump’s controversial statement.

“I got my Turkish visa on October 16, 2025, and Trump’s irresponsible tweet lying about ‘Christian genocide’ in Nigeria was on November 1, 2025. Yet, because of melancholy, they concoct lies and believe them. Trump has no power over us; it’s just your sick mind bowing down to him in worship,” Gumi stated.

In a separate post, he described claims of Christian genocide as a deliberate attempt to malign Islam and challenge the implementation of Sharia law in Nigeria. “After the fog has cleared. The alleged ‘Christian genocide’ in Nigeria is all about a well-drawn-out plan to attack the Shariah Law and Islamophobia,” he wrote.

Gumi also called on President Bola Tinubu to take diplomatic action against Trump for what he termed a “direct affront” to Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“For Trump to threaten a sovereign country with military attack is a profound disrespect to our authority, but we can rise above it,” he said, urging the Federal Government to summon the U.S. ambassador and demand an official retraction. “President Tinubu should summon the US ambassador; they either retract their threats or we sever diplomatic ties with this irresponsible regime.”

He further stressed that Nigeria should diversify its international relations, noting, “The world is no longer unipolar. We have friends elsewhere who respect our sovereignty.”