Kaduna-based Islamic, cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has disclosed that his priority in Nigeria’s worsening security crisis is addressing those perpetrating violence rather than focusing first on their victims.
According to the Islamic cleric, the only way to stop the ongoing cycle of killings is to confront the attackers directly and deprive them of the means to inflict further harm.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Gumi drew a medical analogy to explain his approach, he argued that in any emergency, the first step is to prevent further damage, not to begin treating those already hurt.
“When you have an emergency, you can only be concerned about stopping the bleeding, not even the fracture, maintaining the cardiovascular potency,” he said.
“I am so much concerned about those who are injuring people. Imagine a mad man in the market in the night who has stabbed so many people—my approach is to get that knife from the man, not the people who are injured.”
Gumi emphasised that his focus does not imply disregard for victims, but rather a strategic attempt to end the violence more effectively.
He said he is not positioned to provide direct support to victims, insisting that existing government agencies have the responsibility and capacity to do so.
“I am not an authority and I cannot take care of everybody. My concern is that blood should stop flowing,” he stated.
The cleric pushed back against criticism that his methods prioritise the welfare of armed groups over their victims, insisting that the state possesses adequate structures to respond to those affected.
“Some people say we have neglected the victims. We have not neglected the victims,” he said.
“The victims have an emergency agency that can take care of them, we have state governors, we have everything to take care of them.”
According to Gumi, the real challenge is how to rehabilitate those he describes as “outlaws” by applying psychological and social engagement strategies that would pull them away from violent lifestyles.
He argued that the perpetrators are known to communities and authorities, and that meaningful dialogue could redirect them.
“But these people that are outlaw, how do we use psychology and social interaction to deviate them from this evil they have fallen into? We know them for a very long time,” he said.
Gumi said his stance is informed by years of firsthand encounters with bandits, insisting that the government also recognises that his approach could work but is held back by political disagreements.
“I have seen this firsthand. This is what will work and government and people have understood that but I think for political reason, they cannot come together and implement it,” he said.
The cleric compared the banditry crisis to an untreated illness, insisting that authorities must examine its root causes before any lasting solution can emerge.
“If you want to cure a disease, you have to go back and see the psychologist — what caused the disease,” he added.
Sheikh Gumi has, for years, maintained that negotiation, rehabilitation and reintegration are more effective in addressing banditry than purely military actions.
He has repeatedly met directly with armed bandit leaders and urged the government to embrace structured dialogue.
He argues that many armed groups are products of neglect, poverty, and cycles of revenge, and that addressing these root causes is essential for achieving lasting peace.
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