Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has dismissed renewed calls for his arrest over his continued commentary on banditry, describing those behind the demands as misinformed, intolerant, and motivated by hatred.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Gumi condemned his critics as “spineless, irresponsible and unpatriotic imbecilic people,” accusing them of preferring outrage over meaningful dialogue on Nigeria’s worsening security challenges. He insisted that none of his actions amounted to wrongdoing, arguing that many of those attacking him simply cannot tolerate alternative perspectives on how to address banditry.
Gumi referenced one of his most widely reported engagements — his January 2021 visit to Sabon Garin Yadi forest in Giwa LGA of Kaduna State. According to him, the outreach was carried out openly with the full knowledge and escort of the then Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, who represented the Inspector-General of Police.
He said over 600 armed bandits and their commanders attended the meeting and agreed to surrender their weapons if the government met basic conditions, including provision of amenities and an end to arbitrary arrests. Gumi claimed the government failed to uphold its side of the agreement, causing the peace effort to collapse.
The cleric questioned why advocating dialogue should warrant calls for his arrest when his intention was to save lives. He maintained that seeking peaceful engagement is not a crime and warned that silencing dissenting opinions only worsens insecurity.
He concluded his post with a prayer, stressing that intolerance toward opposing views remains a major threat to Nigeria’s stability. “May Allah protect our nation from bigotry and from those who cannot tolerate opposing opinions,” he wrote.
