To end banditry, sponsor factional bandits to fight themselves, Gumi advises FG

In order to end banditry, the federal government should sponsor factional bandits to fight themselves, revered Islamic cleric Sheik Ahmad Gumi has said.

Mr Gumi gave the advise in an interview with Punch Newspapers while speaking on the atrocious acts of the criminals who have recently beamed its searchlight on school children by abducting them in exchange for ransom.

He has been at the forefront demanding amnesty for bandits, some of whom he said are willing to surrender their arms and ammunition if granted amnesty, a demand President Muhammadu Buhari rejected.

“We are always trying to do our best, but you see, you need two hands to shake. You know these people (bandits) need engagements from the government itself,” the cleric said. “If you dialogue with them without the involvement of the government, it is a problem.

“Government needs to be proactive with them. We have a lot of them that are ready to fight the bad ones. Use the bad to fight the ugly, and use the good to fight the bad ones when you’re done with the ugly. Look at Boko Haram, who finished Shekau? Was it not the splinter group? So, it is easy.

“All these agitations you see, if the government can do a splinter group and the splinter group is empowered, every man wants power and money, they will do your job. There are many ready to submit themselves. All the ones you see me meeting in the bush, they are all telling us, ‘we are ready,” he added.