Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has said that some bandits he met during his outreach efforts expressed unhappiness with the continuing bloodshed in Nigeria, but claimed they feel compelled to keep attacking because their own communities have been targeted.
A Cycle of Revenge
In an interview on PAPShow, clips of which began circulating on social media on Tuesday, Gumi said the armed men described the violence as a cycle of revenge and retaliation. According to him, one of the bandits he spoke with acknowledged that the killings had become excessive, while insisting that members of the group had been forced into continued violence.
“One of the bandits was telling us the bloodshed is too much,” Gumi said. “They, too, are not happy. And they say they are forced to do it.”
The cleric said the armed men complained that military operations, initially presented as efforts to tackle cattle rustling, had resulted in the killing of women and children in their communities. He recalled asking why the military would kill women and children during such operations.
“But why did they kill their women and children? Why are they killing their women and children? Why are the vigilantes arresting them and killing them? Why?” Gumi quoted the bandits as asking.
He said the armed men viewed the violence as a field of blood, revenge, attack and counterattack, and argued that the continuing killings made dialogue necessary. Religious leaders, he said, have a responsibility to encourage both sides to embrace negotiations.
“So, we, as clergy, our own duty is to look at how to stop it. Let’s stop the bloodshed. Let’s come to the table,” he said.
Fear of Surrender
When the interviewer asked why the bandits could not simply stop their activities, Gumi said they feared being killed if they surrendered or abandoned violence.
“Because they thought they were killed. So, we need to reaffirm to them, to put confidence in them that they will not be killed,” he said.
The cleric also alleged that the proliferation of weapons among armed groups was being fuelled by financial support and an arms race between rival factions. Asked whether some individuals were sponsoring the bandits, he replied, “It’s possible now. You know, it’s possible now.”
He explained that money received by the groups was sometimes used to acquire more weapons because different factions competed to possess superior firepower.
“They buy more weapons because there’s an arms race between them. You know, there are different groups. There’s an arms race. So, this den has more machine guns than this one. So, they should fear them,” he said.
On how the armed groups obtained their weapons, Gumi said they relied on illegal markets. “Well, it’s a black market, like drugs. It’s a black market. If you just have the money, you get them,” he said.
He further alleged that foreign intelligence agencies could be involved in supplying weapons to armed groups, saying, “Foreign intelligence definitely have a hand in it.” Asked whether foreign countries could be arming Nigerian bandits and terrorists, he answered, “It’s possible,” adding that any country interested in Nigeria could potentially be behind such activities. He did not provide evidence to support the allegation.
Dialogue and Accountability
Banditry remains a major security challenge in northern Nigeria, particularly in the North-West, where armed groups have carried out killings, kidnappings and attacks on rural communities.
Gumi has held engagements with some of the groups and advocates dialogue and negotiations to end the violence. The approach has drawn criticism from Nigerians who argue that negotiating with bandits could undermine efforts to hold them accountable.
