Sheikh Gumi has called on the Federal Government to consider negotiating with t+rrorists and bandits as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s insecurity, arguing that dialogue and rehabilitation could help end years of v+olence.
Speaking during an interview, Gumi said Nigeria should treat insecurity as its own problem and not allow international opinions to dictate how it responds.
According to him, the government should be willing to negotiate with armed groups, just as other countries have negotiated with militant organisations during conflicts.
He also claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo once met with Boko Haram leaders in Maiduguri and that they had agreed to lay down their arms, but the government allegedly failed to follow through.
Gumi further proposed that the government offer the groups a six-month period to surrender their weapons, followed by rehabilitation, education and other incentives for their children.
“Otherwise, if I’m the president, I would just come and announce, I’ve given 6 month amnesty window for them to put down their weapons, we’ll do everything.”
He added that the government could build schools for their children, even in forest communities, as part of efforts to encourage them to abandon v+olence.
Gumi also argued that funds spent on other projects could instead be channelled into rehabilitation and programmes aimed at addressing the roots of insecurity.
“Why can’t we negotiate with them?” he asked, insisting that Nigeria should explore dialogue as one of the possible ways to bring the crisis to an end.
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