Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi said he would support the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as well as Boko Haram terrorists and bandits operating in the country, if they are ready to lay down their arms.
Speaking in a recent interview about his ongoing dialogue with armed groups, Gumi stressed that the groups must be ready to come to a roundtable and negotiate with the Nigerian government to earn his support.
“Dialogue can bring peace, and we are men of peace. Even IPOB, which wants secession, are ready to put down their arms, come to a round table to discuss, I’m ready and would support them. All we don’t want is violence,” he said.
Speaking further, he alleged that the federal government of Nigeria knows the identities and locations of terrorists operating in the country.
“The government knows every terrorist by name and location. I don’t go alone to negotiate. I go with the police, military, and other security agencies,” he said.
He described some of his past peace efforts, noting that he has even accompanied women into forests during negotiations with armed groups.
The cleric also highlighted public mistrust of government actions.
“What they say is not what they do. Essentially, we are asking: what is the way out of insecurity? There is a way out. Let’s bring intellectuals and criminologists from reputable institutions together to find solutions,” he said.
Gumi argued that Nigeria’s insecurity cannot be addressed solely through military action, citing poor infrastructure and lack of social amenities as major contributing factors.
“Experts say 75 percent of the action should be non-kinetic. Look at the roads — terrible. Electricity is erratic and costly. Healthcare is weak; even wealthy Nigerians travel abroad for treatment. Education is in crisis. In this context, should we spend trillions on defense, or invest in providing essential amenities that would have a real impact?” he asked.
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