Renowned Islamic cleric, Sheik Gumi, has alleged that the United States is only targeting Nigeria’s crude oil.

Gumi made this allegation on Wednesday while fielding questions in an interview on Trust TV.

He was reacting to the call for sanctions and the repeal of blasphemy and Sharia laws in Nigeria by the United States’ government.

A United States Congressman, Riley M. Moore, called for sanctions and the repeal of blasphemy and Sharia laws in Nigeria as part of broader recommendations to address violence against Christian communities in the country.

Reacting, Gumi said, “This situation appears to be less about protecting Christians and more about oil.

“Given Venezuela’s past experience where its oil rights were seized, Nigeria, as an oil-rich nation, presents an alternative for the US should Middle Eastern oil supplies be disrupted.

“Accusations of drug trafficking in Venezuela and persecution of Christians in Nigeria serve as pretexts, or smokescreens, for outside intervention to secure oil supplies. This reflects global geopolitics, which Nigerians should resist.”