Popular Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has maintained that Nigeria’s efforts to negotiate with bandits to prevent further bloodshed are not wrong, emphasizing that neither the Quran nor the Bible prohibits such talks.
In an interview with the BBC aired on Tuesday, Gumi defended his long-standing view that engaging with bandits is sometimes necessary. He described dialogue with non-state actors as a practical approach to safeguarding lives and promoting peace.
Gumi said, “The idea that we must never negotiate I don’t know where that comes from. It’s not in the Bible, nor is it in the Quran. In reality, negotiations with outlaws and non-state actors happen everywhere. So, the notion that it’s forbidden is simply misplaced. We negotiate to protect lives and advance strategic interests. If talks can stop bloodshed, we pursue them.”
Addressing the issue of school kidnappings, he referred to them as a “lesser evil” when compared to the killing of soldiers. “Kidnapping children is terrible, but it is still less severe than killing soldiers. Not all evils carry the same weight,” he stated. He cited past abduction cases, including the Kebbi State incident, noting that the victims were released unharmed.
“It’s an evil, certainly, and we pray for the safe return of the children,” Gumi said when asked about the abducted schoolchildren.
The cleric clarified that his negotiations with bandits were always conducted transparently, with authorities and the media present. He revealed that his last face-to-face meetings with bandit groups occurred in 2021, during which he sought to unite various factions. However, he said the federal government at the time was “not keen” on supporting his initiatives. He withdrew from these efforts entirely after the groups were officially labeled as terrorist organizations.
On the broader security challenges, Gumi argued that Nigeria’s military cannot tackle the crisis alone. “We need a strong army, but even the military acknowledges that 95% of their role in addressing civil unrest is kinetic. The rest depends on government policies, politics, and local involvement. The military cannot manage everything by itself,” he said.
Finally, Gumi highlighted that most bandits are Fulani herdsmen, not urban Fulani, and urged a distinction between the two groups. He explained that their actions are largely tied to survival and cattle-rearing traditions: “They are fighting for their existence. Their lives revolve around cattle, often inherited from previous generations. These are mostly rural Fulani herders, not the Fulani living in towns.”
