Gumi Says Bandits Seek Peace, Conditions Kanu Pardon
By Daniel Ojukwu
Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has again called for a non-kinetic, dialogue-based approach to solving Nigeria’s insecurity challenges, saying some armed groups are already willing to drop their weapons.
He made the remarks on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he questioned why the government continues to rely mostly on military force.
According to Gumi, no army is fully designed to defeat guerrilla fighters, noting that even powerful nations like the United States and Israel struggle with similar conflicts.
He argued that Nigeria must explore peaceful methods, especially since some fighters have shown interest in abandoning violence if given the chance.
Gumi also said he would support calls for the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, but only if Kanu shows genuine remorse and commits to peace.
He pointed to past examples where former presidents granted amnesty to major agitators, including Shehu Shagari’s pardon of Ojukwu and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s amnesty for Niger Delta militants.
The cleric explained that communal violence is treated differently from individual crimes because it often involves groups acting in conflict situations, which sometimes require reconciliation rather than punishment.
He added that after the civil war, Nigeria forgave many actors on both sides despite the heavy loss of lives, all in the interest of healing the nation.
Gumi ended by urging the government to focus on peace, dialogue and national unity, especially as insecurity continues to rise across several states with repeated kidnappings and attacks.