- Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has questioned why the Nigerian government has not engaged Boko Haram terrorists and bandits through dialogue, comparing the situation to past negotiations with Niger Delta militants.
- The cleric maintained that dialogue and rehabilitation remain viable options for addressing insecurity, while insisting that his position is intended to promote peace rather than support armed groups.
Controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has questioned why the Nigerian government has not pursued dialogue with Boko Haram terrorists and armed bandits in the same way previous administrations engaged Niger Delta militants to end violence in the region.
In a Facebook post shared on Saturday, Gumi recalled how former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo visited militants in the Niger Delta creeks and introduced programmes that helped reduce militancy. He argued that a similar approach should be considered in tackling insecurity in parts of Northern Nigeria.
“The former President Jonathan visited delta militants in the creeks, so also the former vice president Osinbajo. They all came up with a program to tame the militants,” he wrote.
The cleric then questioned who would be willing to initiate such talks with Boko Haram and bandits without facing criticism.
“Who is going to visit BH and Bandits to tame them without f%%ls castigating them?” he asked.
Gumi has consistently advocated dialogue with armed groups operating in the North-West and North-East. Over the years, he has visited bandit camps in Zamfara and other states, maintaining that negotiation and rehabilitation offer a better chance of ending the violence than relying solely on military operations.
Despite facing criticism over his stance, the Islamic scholar has repeatedly denied supporting terrorism, insisting that his calls for dialogue are aimed solely at ending the bloodshed and restoring peace.
