Abubakar Gumi, a controversial Islamic cleric and retired military officer, says that he has never visited bandits’ den without government officials and the police.
In an interview with Punch, Gumi said those asking how he knew where bandits live should understand that these people have relatives and families.
“One thing Nigerians should understand is that I have never been to any den of these people (bandits) without officials of the government. I go with the police because one cannot go alone; you must go with them,” he said.
He noted that bandits sometimes recommend the people to visit them, noting that he sometimes goes to those dens with traditional rules.
Read also: The Gumi factor and the politics of insecurity in Nigeria
“Sometimes, I also go with traditional institutions and state government officials. My plan is only to broker peace with them. They open their doors for us to sit and discuss issues,” he said.
He said bandits have started shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’ which is now becoming more dangerous, stressing that they commit the same crimes of killing, raping, and slaughtering.
“When we went there, they were not shouting ‘Allahu Akbar.’ Now, they are aggrieved and they think it is a revengeful fight. They must have been engaged by religious fanatics. This is what we feared,” he said.
Gumi said he does not believe that bandits are being sponsored by politicians or the opposition, revealing that this is a natural reaction of people neglected for centuries.
He said the bandits are now exposed to the world and are willing to embrace education.
“They want to fight back. This act is not orchestrated by anybody. To our surprise, in a school built for herdsmen in a village between Abuja and Kaduna, over 600 of them, along with their families, have started schooling there. They are telling us they don’t want their children to be like them. Imagine if we did that all around the country,” he said.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
