Thursday, 24th June 2021: Islamic cleric and the self acclaimed negotiator with bandits in Nigeria, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, on Wednesday made another controversial claim regarding the onslaught of bandits on Nigerians.

He accused rogue security agents of being complicit in the rising insecurity across the country orchestrated by bandits who engage in killings and kidnapping for ransom, among other crimes.

Nigerian military and police authorities have, however, debunked insinuation by Sheikh Gumi that their personnel are colluding with the bandits, saying the cleric was trying to tarnish their image unduly.

Speaking in an interview on Arise TV, the Islamic cleric and retired army doctor also called for amnesty for the bandits in order for them to quit their criminal acts. He specifically urged farmers across the country to allow herdsmen to protect the forests.

“I know these bandits. If we do not know, these bandits are operating with bad elements in our security system. So many people are involved and you will be so surprised, and I’m still against who is operating against this nation and humanity.

“How can these big weapons get across our borders and get into the forest without the cooperation of so many bad elements in our security system? It is not possible. If I give you the same amount, can you take me into the UK? You cannot take me to the UK because the security is surrounded,” Gumi said.

While admitting that the bandits are committing all sorts of crimes, he also said that atrocities have been committed against them by various tribes across Nigeria, saying there is a tribal war going on in Nigeria and that government is not being neutral as it should be.

According to him, “When you said these bandits are committing atrocities, yes, I agree they are committing crimes; they are killing people; they are kidnapping; they are raping; they are doing all sorts of atrocities. But have you for once gone to their own side to see all sorts of atrocities that are also committed against them?

“Do you know that an ordinary herdsman is lynched in many towns in Nigeria? We have seen that in Oyo; we have seen that in Anambra; we have seen that in many regions of Nigeria. I think there should be well meaning Nigerians that should stay neutral in this tribal war.”

He said: “What you call banditry, when you cross to the other side, you discover Nigeria is fighting a tribal war and the government is supposed to be the mediator; it is supposed to be neutral; it’s not supposed to take sides. But the moment the government takes sides, it becomes part of the conflict. And this is what I saw in Zamfara State, in Niger State and other states. This is a tribal war going on and the government is taking one side.

Gumi also stated that arrangements are being made to educate the herdsmen about the communities that they are living in where they are not indigenous.

He said, “the situation we are in now is very bad and that is why we engage them in the North to see if we can quench the fire, but we are not in authority to say that we have the resources or mobility enough that we can move around the country but it is in the pipeline.

“We want to go to the South West, South South, and South East to get them, civilise them, teach them how to behave and also how to channel their grievances up there.”

The Islamic cleric stated that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had been trying to get to the root cause of the problem.

“Actually, there is a Fulani leader who gave me some papers in confidence but unfortunately a week after that he died. So, I felt obliged to continue with what he started with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Since 2019, Obasanjo has been trying to go into the deep root cause of this problem and that is why I consider him a good leader. He doesn’t depend on what he heard in the news or what he read in the papers. He tries to dig deep and know what the problem is.

“He has had two consecutive meetings with the Fulani leaders and I felt that meeting should continue and I found the chief very passionate about Nigeria. He is a peace seeker and also intelligent.”

Speaking on the nationality of the bandits, he said the bandits he conversed with during his visit to the bandits’ enclave in the bush were Nigerians, not foreigners as earlier claimed by the presidency and recently by the governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello.

Gumi said, “I am not an immigration officer by looking at somebody to know who is a Nigerian and who is not, and I’m not trained to know who is a Nigerian or who is not, but the people we saw in the bush are Nigerians.

“What I’m saying is that I’m for the truth and I’m for Nigeria. I do not accept extrajudicial killings whether from the military or the government, bandits or any Nigerian; I do not accept that. All we want is everything to go through the rule of law

Insisting on his call for amnesty for the bandits, Gumi said they are ready to surrender if the government will provide a means of livelihood for them.

“The Niger Delta example, I think we can take an example from that. When they were vandalising pipelines, they were given the pipelines to guard.

“Now, the herdsmen are controlling a big chunk of land whereby they are preventing farmers from farming. As the Niger Delta is important to the economy, these herdsmen now are becoming important to the Nigerian economy.

“They can be our guards; they can guard the forests. They have qualities that we can tap from,” Gumi said.

He dismissed the amnesty granted to bandits by Katsina State Governor Bello Masari, describing it “political amnesty” without any package.

“When you grant a political amnesty, I mean amnesty in front of the press and the media but in the real sense there was no amnesty. Amnesty comes with a package. The package is, you rehabilitate these criminals, you provide for them social amenities. You entice them to leave the forests by providing them with skills. But there is no project put forward.”
 
It’s a calculated attempt to denigrate the military – Army

But the Nigerian Army has strongly debunked insinuations that its personnel collude with bandits.

The director, Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, stated this while reacting to Sheikh Gumi’s statement on Arise TV Wednesday alleging that rogue Nigerian security agents were colluding with marauding bandits responsible for various crimes and atrocities against Nigerians.

Gen Nwachukwu said contrary to Sheik Gumi’s claims, the Nigerian Army remains a bonafide symbol of national unity that has conducted its constitutional responsibilities in the most professional manner in line with global best practices of adherence to the rules of engagement and protection of the fundamental human rights of the citizenry.

“The sweeping allegation peddled by the scholar is not only sad and unfortunate, but a calculated attempt to denigrate the Nigerian military and undermine the sacrifices of our patriotic troops who are working tirelessly to restore peace and stability across the country.

“It is essential to remind ourselves that these same military being accused of connivance are the ones who recently put their lives on the line to rescue abductees of the Government Secondary  School, Birnin Yawuri, from kidnappers,” he said “While the Nigerian Army (NA) will not attempt to excuse the possibility of black sheep amongst its fold, it must be stated unambiguously that it will not condone any form of sabotage or aiding and assisting the enemy by any personnel, as provisions for dealing decisively with such acts are crystallised in Section 45 (1) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

He said while the military is very much receptive to constructive criticism, it should not be perceived as a gateway for derogatory comments that have the potential to embolden criminals.

The director reiterated that patriotism must be taken to a trajectory where subversive conversations on the state are brought to the barest minimum.

“Opinion leaders are enjoined to demonstrate patriotism in building the peace, rather than being agents of destabilisation, thereby aggravating the current security challenges facing the nation.” he advised
 
‘We’re used to Cleric’s allegations’ – Police

When CEOAFRICA contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, (FPRO), CP Frank Mba and the spokesperson of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, if the police and the DSS were considering inviting Sheikh Gumi, considering his continued inciting statements against the president and security agencies, including the police, they failed to comment on the issue.

But a police source told our correspondent that the police authorities were already used to the cleric’s allegations.