‘Military bombings are causing bandits to transform into monsters- Cleric, Gumi

An Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who is a former officer in the Nigerian Army at the weekend has said that the military bombings are causing bandits to transform into monsters.

Gumi, a cleric at Mufti and Mufassir in Kaduna central mosque sultan bello made the recommendation through in a statement issued to newsmen at the weekend.

He recommended that the Federal Government should engage in a dialogue with the bandits, instead of resorting to a forceful approach to address the situation.

“I believe no ransom should be paid, but engage these people, give them hope, and not only in this children’s case.

“I’m so sad that the leaders are just realising that it is turning into a war. It has been a war and not mere criminality.

“If we can see Israel and Hamas sitting down to exchange prisoners, I don’t see why we cannot negotiate.

“I support that the government should not pay any ransom, but what I say is that the government must dialogue with them.

“From my knowledge about their psychology, that amount they are pitching is because they want to have a bigger bargaining power, otherwise, I don’t think in their wildest dreams, they would think the government would give them that money.

“What is happening now is that we are seeing that these bandits are getting more and more vicious. Before now, they don’t do what they do now.

“We can only attribute that to the kinetic approach, which is overemphasised. When we hear the politicians talk, nothing is done about it to overcome these people. For example, now we are fighting bandits.

“They are anonymous, how can you fight who you do not even know? You say let’s go in, map them out and all but all these intelligence information are not there.

“How can you know somebody from satellite and the high-handed approach is what is making it worse. They are now kidnapping small children and they are threatening death which they don’t do before.

“So, I think what we need to do is go back to the drawing board and truly be non-kinetic.

“But when you continue dropping bombs, spraying gas on the women and children, they find no sympathy and empathy for our children. So, this is it, an eye for an eye.

“So, we have to change our tactics, we have to change our style. What we have been doing has not been productive,” he said.