KADUNA – A viral photograph showing a high-ranking officer of the Nigerian Navy kneeling before controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has ignited a fierce national debate over military decorum and institutional integrity.
The officer, identified as Commodore A.M. Grema, was captured in full military uniform performing the submissive gesture during a courtesy visit to Gumi’s residence in Kaduna. While supporters of the officer defend the act as a traditional sign of respect for an elder and religious leader common in Northern Nigeria, critics have labeled it a “humiliation” of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Security analysts and retired military personnel have raised concerns that the gesture violates the sanctity of the uniform, which represents the sovereignty of the Nigerian state. Critics argue that regardless of personal religious or cultural leanings, a Commodore—a one-star general equivalent—is expected to maintain a posture that upholds the dignity of his office, especially when meeting a civilian.
The optics are further complicated by Sheikh Gumi’s controversial standing in Nigeria’s security landscape. The cleric has frequently acted as a self-appointed negotiator with bandits in the Northwest, a role that has drawn both praise and heavy criticism from government officials and the public alike.
“This is both alarming and deeply troubling,” one social media commentator noted. “When the state, represented by a high-ranking military officer, bows to a non-state actor in this manner, it sends a dangerous signal about the hierarchy of authority in our nation.”
The Nigerian Navy headquarters has yet to release an official statement addressing the viral image or clarifying whether the visit was an authorized official assignment or a private engagement.
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