Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has once again called on the Nigerian government to initiate peace talks with bandits operating across the country.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Gumi compared the move to peace efforts between Israel and Hamas, noting that nations such as the United States and Israel have previously engaged with groups they labelled as terrorists.
“Peace between Israel and Hamas, whom they call terrorists, was brokered by the USA. Who said there can’t be peace with terrorists?” Gumi wrote.
The cleric urged the government to “make peace with bandits and let us have peace,” insisting that dialogue remains the only sustainable path to national security.
His latest comments have stirred mixed reactions among social media users. Responding to his post, one user, Aisha Oyebisi Oyetunji, questioned, “What do you mean by peace with bandits? What are their demands?” Another commenter, Awwal Abubakar Imam, argued, “Do you consider Hamas and bandits the same? Are their actions comparable?”
Gumi has been consistent in his stance that engaging with bandits is both strategic and religiously justifiable. He previously called for amnesty for bandits, drawing parallels with the Niger Delta militants who received government pardon after laying down their arms.
However, unlike the militants who demanded a fair share of oil wealth from their region, armed bandit groups have been linked to widespread killings, kidnappings, and ransom operations across Zamfara, Sokoto, Yobe, Katsina, Niger, and Kaduna states.
Past peace deals and negotiations initiated by several state governments have largely failed to bring lasting stability to affected communities.
