Bandits Deserve Respect, Empathy. They Have Children, Families – Sheikh Gumi

Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has urged security operatives to stop k*lling bandits that are ravaging villages, abducting schoolchildren and k*lling Nigerians. The controversial cleric asked that they should rather be respected and accorded human rights.

“The bandits also have empathy as we have; they have families, children. The first step is to use psychology on them. They aired their grievances and are ready to change. They should be respected and should be given all the human rights everybody has,” Gumi said on Thursday at a peace conference by the Center for the Advancement of Human Dignity and Value held at Arewa House in Kaduna.

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The controversial self-appointed mediator to assist in finding a solution to banditry, Gumi, said Nigeria will spend less to enlighten bandits than it is spending on arms and ammunition.

“Some are suggesting k*lling them all because they are k*lling. For three year’s you have spent $1 billion, and now you need another $1 billion. But, I said one-third of that will enlighten them, and they will stop k*lling. Have you tried it? Nobody tried it,” Gumi said.