Tobi Adebayo
Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has said that banditry in Nigeria is a tribal war being fought by Fulani herdsmen.
Gumi stated this during an interview on Arise News monitored by ThisNigeria on Wednesday.
The cleric while canvassing for amnesty for the bandits likened their situation to that of the Niger Delta militants.
“Bandits have become very important in the country because they have taken control of farms, just like militants crippled petroleum supply across the country. People are unable to farm and produce food. If this continues, it will spell doom for the country because food scarcity is not a child’s play.
“They are not aliens. They are Nigerians. We know them. We know their relatives, we know everything about them. They told me that they were ready to sit down with the government. Granting them amnesty is a simple thing for the government to do, just like it was granted to Niger Delta Militants,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu urges Lagosians to embrace water transportation
Gumi accused the military of killing and displacing thousands of Fulani herdsmen and their families for years.
He further described banditry as a tribal war that stemmed from the unfair treatment meted out to herdsmen by the government.
“Banditry is tribal war because Fulani herdsmen are always at loggerheads with other tribes across the country. The military has also been killing and displacing them for years now. The military need to engage with them in a civilised manner and protect them. They are also Nigerians. It is their fundamental human right to be protected. The government and the media are taking sides in this war and unfortunately, the herdsmen have no one to tell their own side of the story. This is what is prolonging the issue that can be resolved in a short time,” Gumi stated.
