Controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has claimed that many armed herdsmen involved in banditry continue criminal activities because they rely on it to finance what he described as their “war machine.”
Gumi made the remarks during an interview on AIT while discussing the topic, Ending Insecurity; Amnesty and Negotiation with Bandits.
According to the cleric, many herdsmen across Nigeria have suffered years of hardship and neglect without meaningful government intervention aimed at improving their living conditions or modernising their occupation.
He lamented that successive governments have failed to allocate sufficient resources toward addressing the welfare and economic challenges facing pastoral communities.
“Not one kobo of our Nigerian budget goes to them,” Gumi stated.
The cleric also argued that many bandits are not living luxurious lifestyles despite public perceptions, claiming that some of them survive under harsh conditions in forests and remote areas.
According to him, financial pressure and ongoing confrontations with security forces contribute to the continuation of armed activities.
“If they leave banditry, they won’t have a source of financing for their war machine,” he said.
“We are under pressure to fight the government. The government that has helicopters is bombarding us. So remove the pressure, the need for the money is there.”
Warns Against US Military Involvement
Meanwhile, Gumi has also cautioned against the involvement of the United States in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and insecurity.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the Islamic cleric warned that foreign military involvement could worsen the country’s security situation instead of resolving it.
According to him, Nigeria must be careful not to compromise its sovereignty while seeking international assistance to combat banditry, insurgency and other security threats.
Gumi maintained that Nigeria’s sovereignty remains “a red line” and argued that the country’s armed forces possess the capacity to tackle insecurity if operations are conducted with fairness, accountability and proper rules of engagement.
He further warned that the involvement of foreign powers, especially the United States, could attract international extremist networks into Nigeria and expand the scale of violence in the country.
The cleric stated that such intervention could potentially transform Nigeria into another battleground for global terror groups, thereby complicating the nation’s already fragile security situation.
