Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has criticised the Federal Government’s designation of bandits as terrorists, warning that the move has complicated efforts to negotiate an end to violent conflicts in parts of northern Nigeria.
Gumi argued that categorising bandit groups as terrorists has effectively closed the remaining channels of engagement and could drive the armed groups towards greater extremism.
Speaking in a video that has since gone viral, the cleric maintained that some bandit factions had previously demonstrated a willingness to embrace dialogue and should not have been grouped with terrorist organisations.
According to him, the government’s approach risks worsening an already fragile security situation.
“We don’t want to push them into terror beyond what they are doing now because it can get worse,” Gumi said.
The cleric recalled instances in which some bandit groups reportedly collaborated 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 asked.
“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 designation has 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 resolving Nigeria’s banditry crisis, a position that has generated significant controversy and 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, with supporters of military action insisting that armed groups responsible for killings, kidnappings and mass displacement should be treated as terrorists, while advocates of dialogue argue that negotiations remain necessary to achieve 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.