Sheik Gumi advises FG: “Empower factional bandits so they can help fight the bad ones”

The Federal Government has been advised by a popular Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, to support fractional groups among bandits.

In an interview with Punch, Gino said that supporting splinter groups among bandits can help end mass abductions of school children across the country.

The clergy revealed that many bandits were ready for a dialogue and that the Federal government could use them to fight the “ugly ones.”

“We are always trying to do our best, but you see, you need two hands to shake. You know these people (bandits) need engagements from the government itself. If you dialogue with them without the involvement of the government, it is a problem.

The government needs to be proactive with them. We have a lot of them that are ready to fight the bad ones. Use the bad to fight the ugly, and use the good to fight the bad ones when you’re done with the ugly. Look at Boko Haram, who finished Shekau? Was it not the splinter group? So, it is easy.” He said.

The Sheik who had previously advocated for amnesty for bandits admitted that every man wants power and money.

“All these agitations you see, if the government can do a splinter group and the splinter group is empowered, every man wants power and money, they will do your job. There are many ready to submit themselves. All the ones you see me meeting in the bush, they are all telling us, ‘we are ready.’”