Nigeria News
I’ll Not Negotiate With Bandits Terrorist Again – Sheikh Gumi [Video]
Renowned controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has said he will no longer engage himself in any negotiation with bandit terrorists.
Naija News reports that Gumi made the declaration in an interview with TVC on Monday.
In an extract of the interview, Sheikh Gumi said the declaration of bandits as terrorists by the federal government has made it difficult for clergymen like him to intervene in the current security situation.
Sheikh Gumi who was responding to President Muhammadu Buhari-led government declaration of bandits as terrorists said the declaration was coming at a time the bandits were willing to negotiate.
He, however, noted that going by the recent declaration by the federal government, he will no longer engage the bandits.
He said: “We do not want to push the bandits beyond what they are presently doing because it can get worse. Why are you rushing to declare them terrorists when they are willing to negotiate?”
Speaking further, Gumi added, “The remaining door of negotiating with them are the clerics, but the door is now closed. I will not contact them again because that would mean one is aiding terrorists.”
Watch the video below:
Naija News recalls that bandit terrorists operating in the North-west and North-central regions of the country were on Friday, declared insurgent groups by a Nigerian court.
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Ministry of Justice had filed a motion ex-parte on behalf of the Federal Government to the effect.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mohammed Abubakar, said the order to tag bandits as terrorists was given by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Abubakar said that the government decided to tag Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups and other bandits groups in the country as terrorists due to their involvement in the killings of security agents.
Mohammed Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Federation, had filed an ex-parte application seeking to prohibit the activities of the ‘bandits’.
In his ruling on Friday, the federal high court judge, Taiwo Taiwo, held that the activities of ‘Yan Bindiga’ (gunmen) and ‘Yan Ta’adda’ (terrorist) bandit groups constitute acts of terrorism.