KADUNA — Prominent Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has faulted the security and dialogue strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, questioning why no senior government official has ventured into forest enclaves to engage armed bandits and insurgents in peace talks.

Drawing historical parallels with past security interventions, Gumi cited dialogue initiatives undertaken by previous administrations—notably former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo—who engaged Niger Delta militant groups directly to restore peace and secure national oil infrastructure.

The cleric argued that relying solely on kinetic military action without active non-kinetic engagement, dialogue, and amnesty frameworks will not resolve the decades-long security crisis in the North-West and North-East.

Key Points from Sheikh Gumi’s Argument

Speaking during a recent public address and media briefing in Kaduna, Sheikh Gumi outlined several key arguments advocating for dialogue over purely military operations:

• Precedent of Niger Delta Negotiations: Gumi noted that previous federal administrations deployed top government envoys to meet directly with militant commanders in the creeks, leading to the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and the stabilization of the Niger Delta region.
• Absence of High-Level Dialogue in the North: He expressed concern that no senior cabinet member or presidential envoy under the current administration has been delegated to engage forest-based armed groups to hear their grievances, negotiate prisoner swaps, or arrange disarmament terms.
• Call for a Dual-Track Approach: While acknowledging government military efforts, Gumi insisted that armed groups operating in rural forests respond more effectively to socio-religious mediation, economic integration offers, and community-level peace accords.

Government & Military Stance on Banditry

The Federal Government and military authorities have repeatedly rejected informal mediation initiatives involving criminal syndicates and proscribed terrorist groups.

  Sheikh Gumi's Position:       Dialogue, mediation, and amnesty offer the fastest route to rural peace.
  Federal Govt & Military:      No negotiations with proscribed terrorists; kinetic pressure remains primary strategy.
  Historical Reference:         1990s–2000s Niger Delta Amnesty vs. North-West Forest Banditry.

Defence authorities and the Ministry of Defence have maintained that bandit syndicates operating in Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, and Kaduna states have been officially designated as terrorists under the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, legally precluding non-state concessions or amnesty programs without formal surrender.

Public and Political Reaction

Gumi’s remarks have reignited national debate regarding the efficacy of non-kinetic measures in ending rural banditry, mass kidnappings, and agricultural disruptions across Northern Nigeria.

While some regional commentators support dialogue as a pragmatic means to rescue abducted civilians and restore rural farming access, civil society groups and legal practitioners caution that negotiating with armed non-state actors risks emboldening criminal networks and compromising state authority.