Gumi advocates amnesty for repentant bandits

Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi has called on the Nigerian military and government to adopt a new approach to tackling banditry and insurgency, arguing that over-reliance on force has failed to end insecurity in parts of the country.

Speaking during an interaction with journalists in Kaduna, Gumi said the kinetic approach used against armed groups over the past 17 years had not produced lasting peace, especially since the Boko Haram insurgency escalated in 2009.

“If the kinetic approach is not working for 17 years, why don’t we change the approach?” he asked.

The cleric advocated dialogue, rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant bandits as part of efforts to restore peace in affected communities.

According to him, previous attempts at negotiation in states such as Katsina and Zamfara failed because authorities focused mainly on financial settlements without establishing long-term rehabilitation programmes.

“Let’s engage them. Let’s dislodge them from the forest. Let’s take their children and put them in school. Let’s do something different,” he said.

Gumi said many bandits were willing to surrender but feared arrest or retaliation after laying down their arms, stressing the need for a credible amnesty framework.

“These people told us they are ready to lay down their arms, but what are their conditions? Has anybody listened to them?” he queried.

He drew parallels with the rehabilitation programme for repentant Boko Haram members, saying a similar model could be explored in addressing rural banditry across the North-West.

The cleric also linked insecurity to poverty, social injustice and corruption, urging leaders to pursue reforms capable of addressing the root causes of violence.

المصدر: Daily Trust (NG)