Amnesty for bandits in the south and all with weapons – Shieh Gumi
The Nigerian government was called upon to grant amnesty to the southern bandits and all who carry weapons.
This was announced on Sunday by Kaduna’s Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Punch reported.
He said that the amnesty he offered to bandits in the North should be extended to Fulani involved in kidnapping in the South.
Gumi, who stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents, also said that the bandits involved in the kidnapping were not foreigners, but Nigerians.
After meeting with the bandits in the forests of Zamfara state, the prominent religious leader asked the government for a two-week amnesty.
He also met with bandits on the Kaduna-Abuja road who witnessed a series of kidnappings and killings.
After being abducted Wednesday in Kagar, Niger, Gumi also visited the state and met with some of the mobsters.
Justifying his request for an extension of the amnesty to the south, Gumi said that anyone with a weapon must also be included in the country to begin anew.
He noted that the rulers of the north, with the exception of the governor of Kaduna state Nasir el-Rufai, agreed to his cooperation with the northern bandits.
Gumi insisted that the bandits involved in the abductions were not foreigners, but Nigerians.
He said, “People don’t know Fulani at all. They are not looking for money. Even when they burn down the houses in Oyo, can’t you see where they live? They live in huts. They don’t want to buy luxury cars. They like their livestock. With the money they collect from abductions, they buy weapons. The more you fight them, the more they react. They don’t give up. They say that if aviation continues to interfere with them, they will have to take an anti-aircraft gun.
“Not all are criminals; the hard line (stance) taken against them turned them into the fighters that they are. I was shown a village that does not belong to Fulani, but was bombed by aircraft. The well was full of corpses. The Air Force killed them because they thought it was a Fulani enclave, if they are Fulani, what about wives and children? It was the military who created these monsters, as they did with Boko Haram. We need a dialogue with them.
“I am excited because I started to see immediate results. Bandits; no one can call them, except we are using a religious card. So these people are making noise, let them try to see if they can hear them. They do not respect any authority because he has formed his own authority. But if you talk to them and say, “This is blasphemy of the sanctity of religion, they will listen. So why don’t we investigate this?
“I spoke with the local commander (Niger State), and he does not know the current situation (about the kidnapped Kagara students). There is a communication gap because the forest is huge. The earth leaves no room for opportunity. But I believe they will be released today (Sunday). They could be released now, but it will take time before they reach the city. When we left them (the bandits), we returned home only from 18:00 to 3:00. “
He said that since the federal government has announced an amnesty for the residents of the Niger Delta, the same gesture should be extended to those who bring weapons into the country.
“This should be a global amnesty, not just Fulani. Amnesty for everyone who carries weapons. Let’s do this for all these people with guns, and Nigeria will turn a new page. Don’t be surprised, these people from Boko Haram, if you approach them the way you approach these people (bandits), they will listen. If you speak, it’s better than all this powerful language. Dialogue will give you what violence cannot.
“El-Rufai was left alone. There is no other governor. But he is a very smart person, and if he sees the reason, he will do it (key point in my mission). I don’t see a governor who doesn’t fit. The closer you get, the more you see the reasons for these people and ask why they do it, ”he added.
