Renowned Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has renewed his call for increased involvement of religious scholars in addressing the ongoing banditry and security challenges across Nigeria’s North-West region.

 

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Wednesday, Gumi argued that deploying credible Muslim clerics to continuously preach to armed groups could complement ongoing security operations and yield significant results.

 

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**Key Highlights of Gumi’s Argument**

 

* **Addressing Ignorance & Social Neglect:** Gumi stated that many bandits are driven by ignorance, economic deprivation, and social neglect, making non-kinetic, community-based solutions essential alongside military action.

* **Focus on Religious Preaching:** He advocated for structured religious engagement to educate armed groups on Islamic teachings regarding the sanctity of human life, the protection of property, and prohibitions against killing and oppression.

* **Critique of Public Perception:** The cleric noted that bias and fixed viewpoints often distort public understanding of the crisis, stating, *"People are the victims of their own prejudice."*

 

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> *"Since 2021 up until now, almost six years since we began preaching to bandits, one cannot help but imagine what could have been achieved if many credible Islamic scholars had been systematically deployed to engage bandits across the North-West."*

> — **Sheikh Ahmad Gumi**

 

Gumi maintains that while military measures remain part of the response, combining security operations with direct, moral, and religious intervention offers a more sustainable path toward reducing violence in the region.