Sheik Gumi: They are not terrorists but bandits

Says Western countries want to break Nigeria for resources

Controversial cleric Sheik Ahmad Gumi has cautioned Nigerians against calling perpetrators of violence terrorists.

According to Gumi, they are bandits motivated by poor economic conditions.

Gumi spoke in a life Radio 98:3 programe monitored by Irohinoodua on Tuesday.

“They are not terorists. They are bandits. They need to be rehabilitated They need schools, hospitals and jobs,” Gumi said.

He condemned United States President Mr Donald Trump for calling Nigeria a disgraced country. He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is trying his best to resolve the security situation adding that “maybe he is slow.”

He said the planned attacks on terrorist cells was motivated by plans to divide the country and exploit her enormous resources

He said, ‘We shouldn’t call them terrorists; it’s very important how we address them. Former President Obasanjo, wanted to contact Boko Haram for a peace deal with them.

“He did that, and it’s there in the news, but the government of that day didn’t assist him. We went to contact these bandits to come and lay down their arms; they gave us their conditions, and we told the government, but the government didn’t listen. So, what else do you want us to do.?”

He spoke further that the terorists are not ghosts, that they are human beings.

“So, why don’t we have a program for them? They are also citizens of the country; they are criminal citizens. The society doesn’t want to spend a single kobo for them. They should build schools for them, build hospitals for them.”

When asked about his opinion on the government’s rehabilitation program for the bandits, faulted by some Nigerians, Sheikh Gunmi responded, saying, “When you allow a child to become a rascal due to lack of school, the parent should be blamed, not the child. If the child is now a rascal, does it mean it’s not good to rehabilitate the child.?”

Gumi said “Where these people stay, there is no presence of government there at all. We traveled through the place for more than eight hours, and we couldn’t see the presence of government there.’

“In the former government, I suggested these things and spoke to them, but they gave me a deaf ear.’

Sheikh Gunmi said If the had listened to him Nigeria would have solved the problem.

“Look at the Abuja-Kaduna road; there isn’t a single kidnapping going on there anymore. I personally built a school for them there. So now, you can move from Kaduna to Abuja freely, no issue of kidnapping again.

“Look at the kidnapping in Zamfara and Kebbi, due to the lack of peace negotiation going on there. Look at Kaduna now; it’s a little bit peaceful. Look at Katsina; it’s the effort of the locals that was about to negotiate with the bandits, not the government’s doing. And they are now in peace. Like I said, there should be a program to disarm them through education and giving them scholarships here and there.’

He said “You know I am not a good friend of government, but this government is on the right direction, and maybe it’s slow. I don’t know what is dragging it, but he can do better. It’s not the work of the military to fight these bandits because they are civilians; it’s the work of the police and some paramilitary.'”

Sheikh Gunmi responded to President Trump’s statement calling Nigeria a ‘disgrace country,’ saying, ‘Nigeria is not a disgraced country. Nigeria is beautiful, one of the greatest economies in West Africa. We have the most educated people in the United States of America and all over the world. How can he say Nigeria is a disgrace country?'”