A prominent Islamic Scholar based in Kaduna State, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has revealed what bandits told him their grievances are during his previous encounter with them.

Naija News reports that Sheikh Gumi has, in recent years, become actively engaged in meeting with bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers terrorising the Northern part of Nigeria, a development that some citizens have condemned.

Speaking, however, during a recent interview, Sheikh Gumi, who insisted that having a roundtable talk is the way forward with the bandits, said the ‘criminals’ have told him that their grievances are that the government displaced them from their ancestral homes.

He said they further lamented that they were being killed and bombarded by airstrikes, adding that when they surrendered, security operatives came back and picked them up and killed them in an extra-judicial manner.

“They also said the amnesty programme failed after the negotiation. Luckily for us, they are not challenging government authority. That is on the positive side, but the danger is that we have terrorists that are trying to infiltrate them. So, we either bring them to our own side or we allow the terrorists to hijack them, and certainly, that will be another story,” Sheikh Gumi told Vanguard.

He added: “The Boko Haram recently ambushed Army and killed many of them. Gorilla warfare does not end like that. We don’t want this issue of banditry to be prolonged; we want a quick solution. They have not joined the religious terrorists, and when you look at their grievances, which according to them are, no school, no social amenities, no roads, they feel they should have their share of the national cake as Nigerians.”

The Government Started The Violence

While replying to a question by the interview on why the bandits, instead of seeking negotiation with the government, resolved to violence, Sheikh Gumi said the government started the violent attack.

“First, we introduced violence to them, and they now found it as the way. Secondly, they are not schooled. They don’t reason like you and I do. How would you want somebody who is not schooled to reason like you? If you give them all the opportunity to have a good life, school, social amenities, etc., then if they come up with weapons, we can crucify them.

“So, I will advise the government to come up with a very strong committee that will look holistically into the problem. All stakeholders will be on the table, and we iron out an action plan to solve the problem, not the political gathering like the one they did in Katsina or Zamfara. No! It has to involve every one of them, and a solution will be reached.

Speaking on what his demand would be to both sides if he was to be part of the new negotiation, the renowned Islamic cleric said: “My approach to all of these is that it has to be holistic. It has to be with the military, the politicians, the traditional institutions and the religious leaders, the traditional Fulani leadership, the vigilance group, as well as the communities in the bush comprising of the women, farmers and families. If we bring all these people together with the bandits, Insha Allah, we will have fruitful and lasting solutions.

“But when people go to the government and tell them, ‘I can facilitate negotiation with the bandits,’ government should first look at their motive and their sincerity in doing this. Some of them are out to make money because they use this kind of situation to siphon money. Also, if the bandits do not see the faces they know and can really trust, it will not work because it is all about confidence.”

Sheikh Gumi noted that there are many people with different grievances in the country. He said: “I just heard from a security source that in Niger state, a few days ago, one Fulani man lost over 200 cattle. Then a bug truck loaded full of rice was attacked and confiscated, with a proviso that their cattle are released. So, it’s like attacks and counterattacks. Sometimes, it is some people seeking vengeance. It is a complex issue. We need to all come together. But if certain people persuade the government into making a negotiation without making it holistic, then it may not work. The meeting with them is no more a secret. But what I am calling for is a holistic approach to resolving all aspects of the issue. And if after such holistic meetings where all sides to the issues have been discussed and resolved, and violence continues, no one will blame the government if it decides to use the bomb to deal with them. But if you don’t give room for a wide peace meeting, you can’t do that; even God will not forgive you if you do that.”

Gumi, however, volunteered to be an adviser to those involved in the reported negotiation team, saying he could show them how to reach peace talk with the bandits.

He admonished that clerics, emirs, military officers, academicians, politicians and traditional institutions can form part of the negotiation team.