Bandits Are Useful, Give Them Contracts To Secure Forests, Farmlands — Sheikh Gumi Tells FG

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic cleric, claims that security forces are collaborating with outlaws who are wreaking havoc across the country.

Gumi accused some security personnel of providing armed gangs a “easy landing” on Arise TV on Wednesday.

He also asked farmers across the country to give Fulani herdsmen permission to safeguard their lands.

While recognizing that bandits conduct a variety of crimes, the Islamic scholar also said that numerous tribes across Nigeria had perpetrated atrocities against them.

Gumi insisted on his demand for amnesty for the bandits, saying they are willing to surrender if the government provides them with a source of income.

He said, “The Niger Delta example, I think we can take an example from that. When they were vandalising pipelines, they were given the pipelines to guard.

“Now, the herdsmen are controlling a big chunk of land whereby they are preventing farmers from farming. As the Niger Delta is important to the economy, these herdsmen now are becoming important to the Nigerian economy.

“They can be our guards, they can guard the forests. They have qualities that we can tap from,” Gumi said.

He dismissed the amnesty granted to bandits by Katsina State Governor Bello Masari, describing it as “political amnesty” without any package.

“When you grant a political amnesty, I mean amnesty in the front of the press and the media but in the real sense, there was no amnesty.

“Amnesty comes with a package. The package is you rehabilitate these criminals, you provide for them social amenities.

“You entice them to leave the forests by providing them with skills. But there is no project put forward.”