Islamic cleric Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi has thrown his weight behind the proposed Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS), saying the body could play a key role in clearing armed groups from forests across the country.
Gumi backed the creation of the outfit as part of efforts to curb banditry, stressing that the security response must be firm. He urged the proposed service to apply decisive military force against criminal elements entrenched in forest hideouts.
He spoke on Tuesday, the 24th of February, 2026, in Kaduna during his Ramadan Tafsir.
While supporting stronger action, the cleric warned against the use of aerial bombardments in forest operations. He said such tactics often come with heavy risks for civilians living in or around affected communities.
Gumi referenced the Tudun Biri tragedy in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where more than 100 residents were reportedly killed in an airstrike carried out by the Nigerian Air Force in error.
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He maintained that tackling banditry demands coordinated and determined measures, but argued that bombing forest zones could expose innocent residents to grave danger.
The cleric also expressed concern over what he described as the growing brutality of armed groups operating in parts of the country. He linked the trend to alleged external influences seeking to destabilise Nigeria.
According to him, the pattern appears to confirm his earlier fears that bandit groups could transform into full-scale terrorist organisations if left unchecked.
Gumi called on government authorities to design strategies that would root out criminals from forest enclaves while safeguarding the lives of civilians in nearby communities.