Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to initiate peace negotiations with bandits operating in parts of northern Nigeria.
Gumi made the appeal in a Facebook post on Monday, drawing a comparison between the recent ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas and the ongoing conflict in Nigeria.
The Kaduna-based cleric argued that if global powers could broker peace between Israel and Hamas — a group long designated as a terrorist organisation by the West — then dialogue with bandits in Nigeria should also be considered.
“Peace between Israel and Hamas they term as terrorists brokered by USA. Who said there is no peace with terrorists? Make peace with bandits and let us have peace,” Gumi wrote.
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The Islamic scholar has consistently advocated for dialogue with armed groups in the North, insisting that military operations alone cannot end the wave of insecurity plaguing the region.
According to him, negotiation remains the most viable path to lasting peace and stability.
Gumi’s renewed call comes amid ongoing debates over the best approach to tackling banditry and terrorism in Nigeria, with security forces continuing operations across affected states while civilian casualties and displacements persist.