Controversial Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has once again championed the necessity of negotiating with bandits and terrorists, arguing that the practice is neither prohibited by scripture nor uncommon in international relations.
Speaking in a new interview published on Tuesday, Mr. Gumi, a long-standing advocate for dialogue with Nigeria’s non-state armed actors, dismissed the widely held objection that governments should not bargain with terrorists.
“When they say we should not negotiate with terror, that word, I don’t know where they get it from. It is not in the Bible. It is not in the Quran. It is not even in practice,” Gumi stated, firmly rejecting the religious or ethical premise against negotiation.
The cleric insisted that the primary motivation for dialogue is the cessation of violence, framing negotiation as a strategic tool for peace. “We negotiate for peace and our strategic interests. If negotiation will bring a stoppage of bloodshed, we’ll do it,” he declared.
To support his argument, Mr. Gumi cited historical precedents involving global powers and outlaw groups. “In fact, everybody is negotiating with bandits. America had an office where they were negotiating with the Taliban in Qatar. Everybody is negotiating with outlaws, non-state actors. So where do they get that knowledge from?” he queried.
Despite Mr. Gumi’s consistent advocacy for amnesty and peace deals—which have often been implemented by state governors but failed to curb mass kidnappings and violence across several northern states—the debate over engaging with the groups responsible for the ongoing security crisis continues to divide political and security officials.
