Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has attributed the surge in banditry across Nigeria to what he describes as an “existential war” being fought by Fulani herdsmen, urging the government to address the crisis with a deeper understanding of its roots.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, Gumi explained that most armed groups operating in forests are pastoral Fulani fighting for survival, not urban Fulani.
“They are fighting an existential war. Their life revolves around cattle. In fact, they inherit them. They’ll tell you, ‘This cow I inherited from my grandfather,’” he said.
He urged Nigerians to distinguish between Fulani herders and urban Fulani, warning against painting all with the same brush. “They are mostly Fulani herdsmen, not the Fulani town. You have to differentiate between the two,” he added, stressing that a better understanding of the socio-economic and cultural context is key to tackling the crisis effectively.
Gumi emphasized that the Nigerian military alone cannot solve the crisis. “We need a robust army, but even the military is saying our role in this civil unrest, in this criminality, is 95 percent kinetic. The rest is the government, the politics, and the locals. The military cannot do everything,” he said.
Addressing criticism of his past peace efforts with bandit groups, Gumi revealed that he withdrew once the federal government officially designated the groups as terrorists. “My last meeting with them was in 2021. I made efforts to unite the factions and push for peace, but the government was not keen. When they were labeled as terrorists, I completely withdrew,” he said.
He refuted claims of collusion, clarifying that his meetings were conducted publicly and with government awareness. “I go there with the authorities. I don’t go there alone. And I go there with the press,” he explained.
Gumi stirred further controversy when he described the kidnapping of schoolchildren as a “lesser evil” compared to the killing of military personnel. “Saying that kidnapping children is a lesser evil than killing your soldiers, definitely it is a lesser evil. Killing is worse. But they are all evil. It’s just a lesser evil,” he said, referencing the mass abduction in Kebbi State. He added that the abducted children were released, which he contrasted with the deaths of security personnel.
Pressed on a message for parents of kidnapped children, he said, “It’s an evil, and we pray that they escape.”
Reinforcing his long-held view, Gumi stated that neither the Quran nor the Bible forbids negotiation with bandits, especially if it can save lives. “That word, ‘we don’t negotiate,’ I don’t know where they got it from. It’s not in the Bible. It’s not in the Quran. Everybody’s negotiating with outlaws, non-state actors, everybody. We negotiate for peace and our strategic interests. If negotiation will bring stoppage to bloodshed, we will do it,” he said.
He called for a multifaceted approach to the crisis, emphasizing that military action alone is insufficient. Gumi urged the government, local communities, and security agencies to collaborate with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by herders and the rural population.
His comments come amid growing debate in Nigeria over how best to tackle the wave of banditry, kidnappings, and clashes in the northwest, highlighting the tension between security enforcement and dialogue with armed groups.
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