Sheikh Gumi defends falks with bandits, dismisses arrest calls as “bigotry”

Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has publicly rejected calls for his arrest, defending his controversial engagements with armed bandits in northern Nigeria as peace efforts.

He described the demands for his detention as “misguided,” “politically motivated,” and a sign of intolerance.

In a statement on Sunday, Gumi argued that his dialogues with bandit groups were aimed at reducing violence, not supporting criminality.

He detailed a specific, government-backed initiative from 2021 where he, accompanied by the then Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Umar Muri, met with over 600 bandits in a Kaduna forest.

According to Gumi, the purpose of that meeting was to persuade the gunmen to surrender their weapons in exchange for security guarantees and essential amenities.

He claimed the bandits agreed to the terms but alleged that the government subsequently failed to fulfill the conditions, which included an end to arbitrary arrests and improved welfare.

The cleric insisted that calls for his arrest ignore these past peace efforts and amount to an suppression of free speech.

He accused his critics of preferring outrage to constructive solutions and stated that opposing viewpoints should not be criminalized.

He wrote, “ARREST HIM!!! These are the only words some spineless, irresponsible and unpatriotic imbecilic people can utter in the face of a courageous effort by many patriotic citizens to curb the insecurity.”

Gumi concluded by asking, “So, what is there to arrest for?” and called for greater tolerance of differing opinions, ending his statement with a prayer for protection from “bigotry, stubborn and complete intolerance of contrary views.”

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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