Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to classify bandit groups as terrorists, warning that the move could escalate insecurity and undermine efforts to achieve peace through dialogue.
Speaking in a video circulating on social media, Gumi argued that some armed groups had previously shown a willingness to negotiate and should not have been hastily designated as terrorists.
According to him, pushing such groups into a corner could further complicate Nigeria’s security challenges.
“We don’t want to push them into terror beyond what they are doing now because it can get worse,” Gumi said.
The cleric insisted that dialogue remains a viable strategy for tackling insecurity, noting that some bandit groups had in the past cooperated with authorities by apprehending members of extremist organisations and handing them over to security agencies in Zamfara State.
“They have shown us their willingness to negotiate, so people that are ready to negotiate, why are you rushing to declare them terrorists?” he asked.
“Before, they used to catch Boko Haram and present them to the authorities in Zamfara, but now they are all terrorists.”
Gumi also lamented that the terrorist designation had effectively shut down one of the few remaining channels through which religious leaders could engage armed groups in search of peaceful resolutions.
“The only door that is remaining is for us clergy to go in and negotiate with them; that is closed permanently,” he said.
The cleric, who has previously faced criticism over his visits to bandit camps and advocacy for dialogue, said the government’s approach risks closing the door on negotiations and could make the security crisis more difficult to resolve.
