“If Nnamdi Kanu Shows Remorse, I Will Lead Calls for Amnesty” — Sheikh Gumi

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has said he would personally lead calls for amnesty for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu if the separatist shows genuine remorse and publicly calls for peace.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, Gumi emphasized that reconciliation, not military force, is the sustainable solution to Nigeria’s security challenges. He argued that the Nigerian Army is not equipped for guerrilla warfare and that opportunities to de-escalate violence should be seized whenever armed groups demonstrate willingness to abandon conflict.

Gumi described Kanu’s imprisonment as part of a broader national challenge in handling political and armed agitation. “This Kanu that was jailed for terrorism, for agitating that our soldiers should be killed—if this same Kanu shows remorse and calls for peace, I will be in the forefront calling for amnesty for him,” he said.

He pointed to historical examples of reconciliation, noting that former President Shehu Shagari granted amnesty to Odumegwu Ojukwu and that President Umaru Yar’Adua offered amnesty to Niger Delta militants. “This is how we are looking for a way out,” Gumi added.

The cleric stressed that Nigeria’s diversity requires a culture of forgiveness to maintain unity and criticized selective narratives surrounding national conflicts. He said his advocacy is driven by a desire to prevent further national disintegration, not to support armed groups or separatists.

Gumi also addressed attacks on his character, attributing them to political tensions in Zamfara State, where authorities have declined a proposed peace pact to address banditry. He reiterated that negotiation, rehabilitation, and reintegration are more effective than purely military approaches, citing recent kidnappings in Kebbi, Kwara, and Bauchi States as evidence that the crisis has surpassed what force alone can resolve.

He concluded that his interventions are aimed at securing long-term stability and unity for Nigeria.