Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to designate bandits as terrorists, warning that the move has complicated efforts to negotiate an end to violent conflicts in parts of northern Nigeria.
Speaking in a video that has gone viral, Gumi argued that classifying bandit groups as terrorists has effectively shut down avenues for dialogue and could push armed groups towards greater extremism.
According to the cleric, some bandit factions had previously demonstrated a willingness to engage in peace talks and should not have been grouped together with terrorist organisations.
“We don’t want to push them into terror beyond what they are doing now because it can get worse,” Gumi said.
The cleric maintained that the government’s approach risks aggravating an already fragile security situation, insisting that dialogue remains a critical tool in resolving the banditry crisis.
Recalling past interactions with armed groups, Gumi claimed that some bandits had cooperated with authorities by apprehending members of Boko Haram 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 queried.
“Before, they used to catch Boko Haram and present them to the authorities in Zamfara, but now they are all terrorists.”
Gumi further lamented that the terrorist designation had effectively ended opportunities for clerics and other intermediaries to engage armed groups in peace negotiations.
“The only door that is remaining is for us clergy to go in and negotiate with them; that is closed permanently,” he said.
The outspoken cleric has long advocated dialogue as a strategy for tackling Nigeria’s banditry crisis, a position that has attracted significant criticism, particularly following his visits to bandit camps in the North-West.
His latest remarks are expected to reignite debate over the Federal Government’s security strategy. While supporters of military action argue that armed groups responsible for killings, kidnappings and mass displacement should be treated as terrorists, advocates of dialogue maintain that negotiations remain essential to achieving lasting peace.
The comments come amid renewed concerns over rising insecurity across several parts of the country and growing calls for more effective measures to curb violent crimes and protect vulnerable communities.
