The federal government has announced that Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi has been invited for questioning regarding his remarks concerning the activities of bandits in Nigeria.
Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and Orientation, made this disclosure during a press briefing at the State House in Abuja on Monday.
The minister said the Islamic cleric was not “above the law,” adding that the government has deemed it necessary to invite him for questioning.
Recently, Gumi called upon the Tinubu-led government to collaborate with him to negotiate with bandits.
He cautioned Tinubu against repeating what he characterised as the ‘mistake’ committed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, who declined to engage in dialogue with bandits.
“I am ready to lead a holistic dialogue between the government and bandits. It is a religious duty for me to do so for peace.
“I hope the present government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will listen by dialoguing with the bandits because the past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari refused to do so.”
“These bandits are getting more vicious. Before, they were not doing this. They are heading to softer targets, and we can only attribute this to the kinetic approach.
“Now we are fighting bandits. They are anonymous. You cannot fight someone you don’t even know. We said, Let’s go in, let us know them, and let’s map them out—know who they are and where they belong. All this intelligence information is virtually not there.
“The high-handed approach to the matter is what is making it worse. Now they are kidnapping children and threatening death, which they were not doing before. So, I think what to do is really go back to the drawing board and be truly non-kinetic,” he said.
@PUNCH
