We would have achieved more if Islamic scholars preached to bandits – Gumi

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a respected Islamic cleric, claims that employing more Islamic scholars to preach to bandits in northern Nigeria could have led to significant success. This perspective was shared in a recent Facebook post by Gumi. He suggested that such sustained engagement could have complemented and, at times, reduced the reliance on violent methods to combat the issue.

Gumi pointed out that only a limited number of individuals recognize that many bandits are victims of ignorance, deprivation, and social neglect, which have contributed to the ongoing crisis. Since the beginning of his preaching initiative in 2021, Gumi has pondered what could have been achieved if a substantial number of respected Islamic scholars had been systematically involved in engaging with bandits throughout the North-West region.

The primary objective of this approach would have been to educate the bandits about the sanctity of human life, the inviolability of individuals' property, and the Islamic prohibition against killing and oppression. Gumi emphasized that people are ultimately victims of their own prejudices.