Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a prominent Islamic cleric from Kaduna, has revealed that federal government officials often accompany him during negotiations with bandits.
He emphasized that these officials, along with law enforcement and representatives from traditional institutions, are present during the negotiations to ensure safety and facilitate dialogue.
Gumi, who has long advocated for peace through dialogue with the bandits and the possibility of granting them amnesty, explained in an interview with the PUNCH that going alone into such negotiations is not feasible.
He said: “One thing Nigerians should understand is that I have never been to any den of these people without officials of the government. I go with the police because one cannot go alone; you must go with them.
“Only that they will tell you there is a perimeter—don’t come with some of them. Sometimes, I also go with traditional institutions and state government officials. My plan is only to broker peace with them. They open their doors for us to sit and discuss issues.”
On allegations that bandits are being sponsored by politicians, he said: “No politician is sponsoring these people. We are all victims. The opposition is not even behind this. This is a natural reaction of people neglected for centuries.
“Now they are exposed to the world and they want education. These people are exposed to the internet and see how much they are deprived.
“They want to fight back. This act is not orchestrated by anybody. To our surprise, in a school built for herdsmen in a village between Abuja and Kaduna, over 600 of them, along with their families, have started schooling there. They are telling us they don’t want their children to be like them. Imagine if we did that all around the country.”
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