Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says there’s nothing wrong in the involvement of renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi, in the government’s negotiation with the bandits terrorising Zamfara State.
Mohammed said it was in order for Gumi to have accepted to act as a bridge between the government and bandits terrorising Zamfara State.
The minister spoke while featuring on TVC’s ‘This Morning’ show in Lagos, saying government was using some back channels to tackle the security challenges in the country.
He added that the bandits might be ready to listen to the cleric and believe him than they would the government.
On Tuesday, pictures of Sheikh Gumi with some bandits in Shinkafi and Gummi Local Government Areas of Zamfara brandishing AK-47s had surfaced online.
Recall that Sheikh Gumi had visited different bandits’ camps in Zamfara to spread the message of Islam and peace in order to rid the country of kidnappings and banditry.
The cleric during his visit had told the bandits, “Let there be peace; you all have a legitimate concern and grievances, and I believe that since the Niger Delta armed militants were integrated by the Federal Government and are even in the business of pipelines protection, the Federal Government should immediately look into how something like that will be done to the Fulani to provide them with reasonable means of livelihood including jobs, working capitals, entrepreneurship training, building clinic and schooling.”
Asked during his appearance on the TVC programme on Friday whether Gumi’s visits to the bandits were under some special covers, the minister replied, “When you want to resolve an issue like this, you use lots of back channels.
“Again, it is not unusual for a respected cleric to have the confidence of (approaching) outlaws or bandits. As a matter of fact, they are probably ready to listen to him more than they are ready to listen to the government. They are probably ready to believe him more.
“So, it is not unusual for him to act as a bridge between government and the outlaws in an attempt to find solution.
“What I am sure is that he must be working for peace.”