Renowned Islamic cleric Sheik Ahmad Gumi has urged Nigerians to stop calling bandits criminals, adding that they (the bandits) are ready to surrender their weapons if called with nice names.

Gumi, while speaking on Arise Television on Thursday, added that the media also contributes to the fuelling of insecurity in the country by describing the bandits as criminals.

He disclosed that the bandits also want to be recognised as Nigerians.  

He stated “You’re emphasising on criminality, even the press are criminals too because they are putting oil into fire.

“These people are listening to you; you should not address them as criminals if you want them to succumb.

 “Youths are ready to put down their weapons, now you are calling them criminals. How do you want them to cooperate?

“So you have to show them they are Nigerians, that they should not hurt children, be law-abiding. This is the language we want to hear, the press should assist us in getting the boys.

“You see when we talk with them with nice words, they are ready to listen to us, put down their weapons but when the language is about criminality, killing them, then this is what we will keep having.”

Talking on Niger-Delta militants, he said the country is facing nationwide problem and that the governmnet should listen to their demands and strike out the word “criminality”.

“Let me show you something, I don’t wish you harm but if you are stopped by armed robbers on the road, you will not use the word criminal on them.

“Tell them good things so that you will save yourself. We are trying to save the nation from these youths that have a false sense of authority. The language we use is very important,” he said.

“We have a problem now, proliferation of arms, and there are drugs and semi-illiterate population. How do you deal with it? By castigating them and abusing them in the media?

“You’re talking to yourself, they don’t even listen to you so the best for us is the clergymen, the respected people, elderly try to reach them.

“Put sense into them, when you go, they lower their heads, they will listen, they will start giving excuses, accept their excuse but show them the way out. We are trying to nurture them out of this criminality.

“You have the power of media, you should use it to bring people together not try to spread things that divide people.”