Bandits Need To Feel Safe, They Need Amnesty — Gumi

Respected Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has said bandits may
not drop their arms if they are not sure of their safety.

The cleric, who has been deeply involved in the quest to end
insecurity, said this during a virtual event hosted by the National
Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies.

Insisting that dialogue is the solution to banditry, Gumi said
it is too dangerous to allow uneducated young men to be exposed to
drugs.

“Nobody can justify criminality, what we are saying is what we
saw in the forest is an ethnic war going on between people in the
forest and the neighboring villages and hamlets. When the herder
felt he has grievances and nobody was listening to him, he took on
weapons.

“So when we went there and they saw a listening ear, they were
ready to negotiate, tell us their grievances, and ready to
incorporate into the society. So in such a case, I see no reason
why we should not have a dialogue with them.

“Looking at their educational status, they don’t have any
official or unofficial education. How can a nation which is serious
about security leave a chunk of its society so uneducated, leave it
to arms and drugs? I don’t think that society is serious. How can
we disperse them, rehabilitate them because they are holding arms
to protect themselves.

“If you don’t show them they’re safe in the larger society,
there’s no way they can leave their weapon. And that’s why we asked
for amnesty for them just like we had in the Niger Delta.”

Respected Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has said bandits may
not drop their arms if they are not sure of their safety.

The cleric, who has been deeply involved in the quest to end
insecurity, said this during a virtual event hosted by the National
Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies.

Insisting that dialogue is the solution to banditry, Gumi said
it is too dangerous to allow uneducated young men to be exposed to
drugs.

“Nobody can justify criminality, what we are saying is what we
saw in the forest is an ethnic war going on between people in the
forest and the neighboring villages and hamlets. When the herder
felt he has grievances and nobody was listening to him, he took on
weapons.

“So when we went there and they saw a listening ear, they were
ready to negotiate, tell us their grievances, and ready to
incorporate into the society. So in such a case, I see no reason
why we should not have a dialogue with them.

“Looking at their educational status, they don’t have any
official or unofficial education. How can a nation which is serious
about security leave a chunk of its society so uneducated, leave it
to arms and drugs? I don’t think that society is serious. How can
we disperse them, rehabilitate them because they are holding arms
to protect themselves.

“If you don’t show them they’re safe in the larger society,
there’s no way they can leave their weapon. And that’s why we asked
for amnesty for them just like we had in the Niger Delta.”