Gumi Renews Call for Dialogue With Armed Groups
Ahmad Gumi has questioned why Nigerian authorities have not pursued dialogue with Boko Haram and bandits as they did with Niger Delta militants.
Controversial Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi has renewed his call for dialogue with Boko Haram and armed bandit groups, questioning why the Federal Government has not adopted a similar approach to the one previously used in the Niger Delta. The comments have reignited debate over strategies for addressing Nigeria’s long-running security challenges.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Ahmad Gumi referred to past engagements between government officials and militants in the Niger Delta. He recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo visited militant groups in the creeks before introducing programmes designed to reduce militancy in the region.
“The former President Jonathan visited delta militants in the creeks, so also the former vice president Osinbajo. They all came up with a program to tame the militants,” he wrote.
The cleric questioned whether anyone would be willing to hold similar discussions with Boko Haram members and armed bandits without attracting public criticism.
“Who is going to visit BH and Bandits to tame them without f%%ls castigating them?” he asked.
Ahmad Gumi has consistently argued that dialogue with armed groups operating in Nigeria’s North-West and North-East offers a better chance of ending the violence than relying solely on military action. In previous years, he visited bandit camps in Zamfara State and other parts of the country as part of his efforts to encourage negotiations.
His position has remained controversial, with critics opposing negotiations with armed groups responsible for violent attacks. However, Ahmad Gumi has repeatedly denied supporting terrorism, maintaining that his advocacy focuses on ending the bloodshed through dialogue, rehabilitation and peaceful conflict resolution.
The renewed comments are likely to fuel further discussions about the balance between military operations and dialogue in tackling insecurity across Nigeria.
Do you think dialogue should play a greater role alongside military operations in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges?
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