Gumi Defends Dialogue With Armed Groups

Controversial Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi has questioned why government officials have not engaged Boko Haram members and bandits through dialogue, similar to the approach previously adopted with Niger Delta militants.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Gumi recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo visited militants in the Niger Delta creeks as part of efforts to end unrest in the region.

According to the cleric, those engagements led to programmes that helped address militancy in the oil-producing region.

Quoting the former President and Vice President’s approach, Gumi wrote, “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 then questioned whether anyone would be willing to adopt a similar strategy with Boko Haram and bandits without facing public criticism.

“Who is going to visit BH and Bandits to tame them without f%%ls castigating them?” he asked.

Ahmad Gumi has consistently argued that dialogue with armed groups operating in Nigeria’s North-West and North-East could help reduce violence. Over the years, he has visited bandit camps in Zamfara State and other parts of the country, maintaining that negotiation offers a better chance of restoring peace than relying solely on military action.

The cleric has repeatedly rejected allegations that he supports terrorism. Instead, he insists that his position is focused on ending the bloodshed through dialogue, rehabilitation and other peaceful measures.

His latest comments are expected to renew public debate over whether negotiations should play a greater role alongside military operations in tackling insecurity across Nigeria.

Do you think dialogue should be considered alongside military action in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges?