Islamic cleric Ahmad Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi has urged the Nigerian government and military to reconsider their strategy against banditry and insurgency, arguing that prolonged military operations have failed to bring lasting peace to affected regions.
Speaking with journalists in Kaduna on Tuesday, Gumi said the country’s heavy reliance on force since the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2009 had not resolved insecurity across parts of northern Nigeria.
“If the kinetic approach is not working for 17 years, why don’t we change the approach?” he said.
The cleric proposed dialogue, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for repentant bandits as part of broader efforts to restore stability in communities affected by violence.
According to him, previous peace initiatives in states including Katsina and Zamfara were unsuccessful because they focused largely on financial incentives without establishing sustainable rehabilitation structures.
Gumi said authorities should prioritise removing armed groups from forest hideouts while investing in education and social support for their families.
“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.
He added that some bandits were prepared to surrender but feared arrest or reprisals after laying down their weapons, 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 asked.
Gumi also referenced the federal government’s rehabilitation programme for former Boko Haram fighters, suggesting that a similar model could be adapted to address banditry in the North-West.
He further linked insecurity to poverty, corruption and social inequality, calling for reforms aimed at addressing the underlying causes of violence.