By Kingston Magare 22.6.2026
Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi Monday threw another stone at the Federal government’s effort to end banditry and terror in the country.
Speaking in a viral social media video Gumi who is widely regarded as a bandit sympathiser said it was wrong for the government to have branded the bandits terrorists and based on this it would be hard to negotiate with them.
“We don’t want to push them into terror beyond what they are doing now because it can get worse,” said Gumi who had often gone into the forests to speak with the insurgent elements.
“They have shown us their willingness to negotiate, so people that are ready to negotiate, why are you rushing to declare them bandits so that you can use whatever weapons you bought.
“Before they used to catch Boko Haram and present them to the authorities in Zamfara, but now they are all terrorists.
“Secondly, the only door that is remaining is for us clergy to go in and negotiate with them, that is closed permanently.”
Sheik-Ahmad-Gumi...speaking for bandits.