Controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has expressed concern over Nigeria’s continued classification of armed bandit groups as terrorist organisations, warning that the policy may have eliminated opportunities for dialogue with armed actors operating across parts of northern Nigeria.
Speaking in a video that circulated online, Gumi said the designation has effectively shut religious leaders and informal mediators out of any future engagement process with bandit groups.
According to him, previous interactions between clerics and armed groups had, at times, created channels for communication and negotiations aimed at reducing violence in affected communities.
Gumi, who in past years drew national attention for visiting bandit camps as part of controversial peace outreach efforts, argued that some armed groups had indicated willingness to engage in discussions rather than continued conflict.
He warned that relying solely on military responses without maintaining room for dialogue could carry unintended consequences for long-term security efforts.
“We don’t want to push them into terror beyond what they are doing now because it can get worse,” Gumi said.
He also questioned the decision to broadly classify armed groups under terrorism laws, claiming the move has removed what he described as one of the remaining informal channels available for engagement.
“Secondly, the only door that is remaining is for us clergy to go in and negotiate with them, that is closed permanently,” he added.
Banditry and armed attacks have remained major security challenges across several North-West and North-Central states, with governments at both federal and state levels combining military operations with varying approaches to conflict resolution.
Authorities have repeatedly defended tougher security measures as necessary to curb killings, abductions and attacks on communities, while debate continues over whether negotiation should remain part of Nigeria’s broader strategy against armed groups.
What happens next may depend on whether policymakers continue prioritising military pressure alone or reopen conversations around alternative conflict-resolution mechanisms.
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