Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has once again urged the Nigerian government to consider peace talks with bandits, drawing parallels with the recently brokered truce between Israel and Hamas.
Gumi, known for his controversial stance on negotiating with armed groups, made the call in a Facebook post on Monday, stressing that dialogue remains the only sustainable path to peace.
“Peace between Israel and Hamas they term as terrorists, brokered by the USA. Who said there is no peace with terrorists? Make peace with bandits and let us have peace,” he wrote.
The cleric referenced the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, which was reached through intense international mediation, suggesting that Nigeria could learn from that approach to end insecurity in the North.
In September, Gumi had commended local peace efforts in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State, where traditional and community leaders met directly with bandit groups to foster dialogue.
Speaking in Hausa, he said “Alhamdulillah. News has come that today, Sabuwa Local Government has also held a peace settlement with the bandits in the forests, to establish peace throughout the entire local government area.”
He further appealed to security agencies not to disrupt the initiative, but to support and rehabilitate the repentant bandits in a manner similar to the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.
“Those who fuel war, may Allah bring them down. And may the security agencies avoid destroying this peace agreement, but instead teach them how to live in peace… May Allah bring us peace. Ameen,” he added.
This is not the first time the Kaduna-based scholar has stirred debate with such advocacy. In May 2022, he suggested that the government should “give terrorists what they want” to secure the release of abducted passengers from the Abuja–Kaduna train attack, arguing that negotiation could save innocent lives.
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