Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has questioned why the Federal Government has not adopted dialogue with Boko Haram insurgents and armed bandits, drawing comparisons with peace efforts that helped end militancy in the Niger Delta.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Gumi recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo engaged Niger Delta militants through visits to their camps as part of efforts to restore peace in the region.
According to him, those engagements paved the way for programmes that significantly reduced militancy in the oil-producing region.
“The former President Jonathan visited delta militants in the creeks, so also the former vice president Osinbajo. They all came up with a program to tame the militants,” Gumi wrote.
He wondered why a similar strategy has not been extended to armed groups operating in northern Nigeria.
“Who is going to visit BH and Bandits to tame them without fools castigating them?” he asked.
Gumi has repeatedly advocated dialogue and rehabilitation as part of efforts to tackle insecurity in the North-West and North-East. Over the years, he has visited bandit camps, particularly in Zamfara State, arguing that negotiations can complement military operations in achieving lasting peace.
His approach has remained controversial.
While some have credited his interventions with facilitating the release of kidnapped victims, critics argue that engaging armed groups risks legitimising those responsible for killings, kidnappings and other violent crimes.
The cleric has consistently denied supporting terrorism, insisting that his contacts with bandits and insurgents are solely aimed at ending violence through peaceful negotiations.
The Federal Government introduced the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme in 2009 under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
The initiative, which was continued by former President Jonathan, encouraged thousands of militants to surrender their weapons in exchange for training, stipends and reintegration, contributing to a significant decline in attacks on oil facilities.
Jonathan had previously visited militant camps in the Niger Delta while serving as vice president, saying the engagements helped lay the groundwork for the amnesty programme.
Osinbajo also met militants, community leaders and traditional rulers during visits to the region as acting president in 2017, maintaining that dialogue should complement security operations in addressing the region’s challenges.
