Gumi insisted he “advocates for Nigeria,” not for criminals, and warned that the country is facing a scale of rural insurgency that no army in the world is designed to defeat through force alone.
Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has said he would personally champion the call for a presidential pardon and amnesty for detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, if the Biafran agitator “shows remorse and calls for peace.”
Gumi made the remark during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, while defending his long-standing position that Nigeria must adopt dialogue — not just military force — in dealing with insurgents, bandits and other armed groups terrorising communities across the country.
Responding to questions on why he appears sympathetic to violent non-state actors, Gumi insisted he “advocates for Nigeria,” not for criminals, and warned that the country is facing a scale of rural insurgency that no army in the world is designed to defeat through force alone.
According to him, kidnappings are now rampant nationwide, with recent incidents recorded in Kwara and other states, leaving many Nigerians living in fear.
Despite this, he said government continues to rely almost entirely on a “kinetic” military strategy that has failed globally against guerrilla fighters.
“I’m not advocating for them; I’m advocating for Nigeria, so that we can see how to tackle this menace.
“Let me tell you: right now, children are being kidnapped in every state. There was one in Kwara, then another in a different place. Everybody is afraid. Yet, with such a number of outlaws capable of destabilising Nigeria, you still want a military solution? A military that is expected to fight a guerrilla war—something even America could not succeed at in Afghanistan? Even Israel has not succeeded in a small strip of land.
“Guerrilla warfare is not what our army is designed for; in fact, no army is designed for it. These groups we are confronting today—no conventional army is built to defeat them outright. So if there are people who are genuinely ready to put down their arms, then why must our approach always be purely kinetic?” Gumi stated.
Gumi said some armed groups are already willing to lay down their weapons, but the Nigerian government keeps insisting on a strictly militarised approach. He warned that such rigidity will only prolong the crisis.”
Citing historical precedents, the cleric referenced former President Shehu Shagari’s pardon of Chukwuemeka Ojukwu after the civil war, as well as late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s amnesty for Niger Delta militants.
“Let me give you an example: Nnamdi Kanu, who was imprisoned for terrorism and for inciting attacks on soldiers. If Kanu were to show remorse and sincerely call for peace, I would honestly be at the forefront of advocating for his pardon and amnesty.
“Look at President Shagari — he granted amnesty to Ojukwu. Look at President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua — he granted amnesty to the militants,” he added.