Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has said some armed bandits he had engaged with claimed they were afraid of being killed if they stopped carrying out attacks.
Gumi said the bandits described the persistent violence as a cycle of revenge, alleging that attacks on their communities had pushed them to continue retaliating.
The cleric made the remarks during an interview on PAPShow, published on October 29, excerpts of which gained attention on social media on Tuesday.
According to him, some of the armed men admitted that the level of bloodshed had become disturbing, despite their claim that they felt compelled to continue fighting.
“One of the bandits was telling us the bloodshed is too much,” Gumi said.
He added, “They, too, are not happy. And they say they are forced to do it.”
Explaining their grievances, Gumi said the bandits accused security operatives and local vigilantes of killing women and children during military operations initially aimed at tackling cattle rustling.
He recalled that the armed men questioned the alleged killings of members of their families and communities.
“But why did they kill their women and children? Why are they killing their women and children? Why are the vigilantes arresting them and killing them? Why?” he quoted them as saying.
Gumi said the armed groups viewed the situation as a continuing cycle of attacks and retaliation.
“So, they feel it’s a field of blood, revenge, attack and counterattack,” he stated.
He called for dialogue as a means of ending the violence, arguing that religious leaders should help create an avenue for negotiations between the conflicting parties.
“So, we, as clergy, our own duty is to look at how to stop it. Let’s stop the bloodshed. Let’s come to the table,” he said.
When asked why the bandits could not simply abandon their activities, Gumi said fear of possible retaliation or death was preventing some of them from surrendering.
“Because they thought they were killed. So, we need to reaffirm to them, to put confidence in them that they will not be killed,” he added.
The cleric also raised concerns about the increasing availability of sophisticated weapons among armed groups, alleging that financial support and competition between rival factions were contributing to the situation.
When asked whether individuals were sponsoring the groups, he responded, “It’s possible now. You know, it’s possible now.”
He explained that different factions were acquiring more powerful weapons to establish superiority over their rivals.
“They buy more weapons because there’s an arms race between them. You know, there are different groups,” he said.
Gumi further claimed that the groups obtained their weapons through illegal arms markets, describing the process as similar to the underground drug trade.
“Well, it’s a black market, like drugs. It’s a black market. If you just have the money, you get them,” he said.
He also alleged that foreign intelligence agencies might be involved in the supply of weapons to armed groups, but did not present evidence to substantiate the claim.
“Foreign intelligence definitely have a hand in it,” he alleged.
Asked whether foreign countries were supplying weapons to bandits and terrorists in Nigeria, Gumi said it was possible.
Banditry continues to pose a major security threat in northern Nigeria, particularly in the North-West, where armed groups have been responsible for killings, kidnappings and attacks on communities.
Gumi has previously engaged with some of the armed groups as part of his advocacy for dialogue and negotiations to end insecurity. However, his position has attracted criticism from Nigerians who argue that negotiating with criminal groups could weaken accountability and efforts to combat banditry.
