Gumi Advocates Amnesty for Repentant Bandits in Nigeria

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called for an amnesty program for repentant bandits in Nigeria, emphasizing the need for a change in approach to address the ongoing insecurity in the country. Speaking to journalists in Kaduna, Gumi noted that the current strategies, which have been in place for 17 years, have not yielded peace, especially since the escalation of Boko Haram insurgency in 2009.

He proposed engaging in dialogue and establishing rehabilitation programs for repentant bandits, rather than focusing solely on financial settlements, which he believes have failed in previous negotiations in Katsina and Zamfara. Gumi stressed the importance of creating a credible amnesty framework that would encourage bandits to surrender without fear of arrest or retaliation.

He drew parallels between the rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram members and the potential for addressing rural banditry across the northwest, linking insecurity to poverty, social injustice, and corruption, and urged leaders to pursue reforms that tackle the root causes of violence.