Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has fired back at critics calling for his arrest over his frequent comments on banditry and his role as a mediator between armed groups and the government.
Gumi, who for years has positioned himself as a go-between for authorities and bandit leaders, has often faced backlash from Nigerians who accuse him of providing cover for criminals by advocating negotiations instead of military force.
But in a statement posted on Facebook on Sunday, the cleric dismissed the calls for his arrest as baseless and malicious, describing those behind them as “spineless, irresponsible and unpatriotic people” who prefer outrage to genuine solutions.
According to him, engaging with armed groups is not a crime, and his critics are driven by prejudice, misinformation, and an unwillingness to consider alternative security approaches.
Gumi recounted a major mediation effort in January 2021 at the Sabon Garin Yadi forest in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
He said he visited the forest with the then Commissioner of Police, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, as part of a formal peace mission.
The meeting, he said, brought together more than 600 armed bandits and their leaders, who agreed to surrender their weapons and embrace peace in exchange for basic amenities and assurances of safety.
“I was at Sabon Garin Yadi forest with the Kaduna Commissioner of Police… We addressed over 600 bandits who agreed to drop their arms,” Gumi said, adding that the discussions were conducted transparently, with full knowledge of security authorities.
He blamed the collapse of the peace initiative on the government’s failure to honour the commitments made to the bandits, including infrastructural support and protection from arbitrary arrests.
This, he argued, discouraged the groups from following through with their promises.
Instead of interrogating why the agreements failed, Gumi lamented, some Nigerians have chosen to target him.
“What exactly should I be arrested for? For asking them to surrender their arms? For pushing for amenities? Or for explaining their grievances to the nation?” he asked.
He accused his detractors of hypocrisy and warned that silencing advocates of dialogue only worsens insecurity.
Gumi insisted that free speech remains a constitutional right and that expressing an opinion, even an unpopular one, should not be criminalised.
He urged Nigerians to set aside emotional reactions and focus on practical solutions to the deep-rooted issues driving banditry, adding that intolerance and bigotry are major obstacles to peace.
“May Allah protect our nation from bigotry and complete intolerance of differing views,” he wrote.
