Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A controversial Kaduna‑based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has set off a fresh firestorm of criticism after declaring that terrorists and armed bandits operating in parts of Nigeria rely on ransom money from kidnappings to sustain their operations and should not be judged as living lavish lives. Gumi made the remarks during an interview with Africa Independent Television (AIT) on Sunday, May 17, 2026, in which he argued that the government's intensified military pressure on armed groups has forced them to seek more funds to continue their activities. His comments, which quickly went viral on social media, have drawn sharp condemnation from security analysts, civil society groups, and ordinary Nigerians who accuse the cleric of offering excuses for criminal behaviour and undermining ongoing counter‑terrorism efforts.
“The terrorists need all the money they’re getting from kidnapping. It’s not like they are living luxurious lives. The government is putting too much pressure on them, so they need money to finance their war machines,” Gumi said during the AIT interview. He further asserted that if the bandits abandoned kidnapping, they would have no other means of financing themselves, a statement that critics argue amounts to justifying the abduction of innocent civilians. Gumi, a former captain in the Nigerian Army who now serves as a Mufti and Mufassir at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna, has long positioned himself as an intermediary between the government and armed groups, advocating for dialogue and negotiation instead of military force. His latest comments come barely a week after he alleged that American intelligence agencies were behind banditry and Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria.
The cleric's statements quickly triggered a wave of social media backlash. On X (formerly Twitter), many users accused Gumi of normalising kidnapping and showing sympathy toward criminals who have terrorised rural communities, abducted schoolchildren, and killed thousands. Critics pointed out that bandits have been known to use ransom proceeds to purchase sophisticated weapons, including AK‑47 rifles and even anti‑aircraft guns, contrary to Gumi's claim that they are not living luxuriously. Others noted that Gumi's argument that the government's military pressure is the cause of increased abductions ignores the fundamental criminality of kidnapping. “So if I understand Gumi correctly, we should stop pursuing terrorists so they won't need to kidnap for money. This logic is dangerous and unacceptable,” one user posted.
This is not the first time Gumi has stirred controversy. In December 2025, he described the kidnapping of schoolchildren as a “lesser evil” compared to killing soldiers, a comment that drew widespread condemnation from human rights groups and political figures. In November 2025, he defended his role as a negotiator with bandits, claiming that he had led over 600 armed bandits to surrender in 2021 under a government‑backed peace initiative. According to Gumi, the bandits agreed to lay down their arms in exchange for basic amenities and an end to arbitrary arrests, but he alleged that the government failed to fulfill its side of the bargain. He has repeatedly called for a non‑kinetic approach to insecurity, arguing that military force alone cannot defeat banditry and that dialogue remains a necessary tool.
The Federal Government has consistently rejected negotiations with bandits and insists that it does not pay ransoms. In December 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared all armed groups operating outside state authority as terrorists, including bandits, kidnappers, and their financiers, informants, and enablers. The government has invested heavily in military operations across the North‑West, including Operation Fansan Yamma, which has recorded successes in neutralising terrorist leaders and rescuing kidnapped victims. Security analysts warn that statements like Gumi's risk undermining public morale and could inadvertently encourage more abductions by suggesting that kidnapping is an understandable response to military pressure.
Gumi has also courted controversy on other fronts. On May 10, 2026, he alleged in a Facebook post that American intelligence agencies are behind the insecurity in northern Nigeria, accusing the US of sponsoring banditry and Boko Haram. He made the claim while responding to comments by Mike Arnold, a former Texas mayor who had spoken about alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Gumi's allegation has not been substantiated, and it came just days after National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu met with US Vice President JD Vance and other American officials to discuss deeper security cooperation.
The cleric's latest remarks have drawn sharp rebuke from civil society organisations. The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has previously issued ultimatums calling for his arrest over his comments on banditry. In March 2026, HURIWA threatened to drag the Federal Government before the United States Congress and the United Nations if it failed to take decisive action against those who, in its view, legitimise terrorism. The group has repeatedly accused Gumi of acting as a spokesperson for bandits and of undermining the efforts of security forces.
Despite the backlash, Gumi has remained defiant. On Sunday, hours after his AIT interview, he took to Facebook to criticise those demanding his arrest, describing them as “spineless, irresponsible and unpatriotic imbecilic people” who prefer outrage to constructive solutions. He defended his engagement with bandits as a legitimate peace effort carried out with the knowledge of security agencies and questioned why his free speech rights were being attacked while the government's own failures were ignored.
The federal government has not issued an official response to Gumi's latest comments. However, security sources indicate that military operations across the North‑West will continue unaffected, and there is no indication that the government will shift from its kinetic approach to banditry. As of the time of this report, no security agency has commented on whether Gumi's statements are being investigated or could constitute an offence under Nigerian law. For now, the cleric remains one of the most polarising figures in Nigeria's security discourse, with his defenders insisting that he speaks a difficult truth about the limits of military power, and his detractors arguing that he has crossed the line from peace advocate to apologist for terror.
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