I Met Bandits Under Watch Of Police, Local, State Officials – Sheikh Gumi

Popular Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has disclosed that contrary to views held in some quarters, his meetings with bandits in their enclaves were carried out in the company of police, local and state officials.

Sheikh Gumi who had earlier threatened to take legal action against a human rights lawyer, Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo, over call for his investigation on terrorism allegations made the clarification on Saturday.

The cleric had demanded apology from Omirhobo or face a lawsuit over what he called defamatory comments that could lead to religious tension.

However, responding to Gumi’s threat in a statement shared on Facebook on Friday, titled “Sheikh Gumi, I Did Not Defame You—Let’s Meet in Court,” Omirhobo insisted on his comments, vowing not to retract them.

He explained that his earlier statement was not defamatory, but a call made in the public interest and protected by the Nigerian Constitution.

In his response to Omirhobo through his Facebook Page on Saturday, the cleric said, “The clarification by Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo clears the matter. It’s not defamation but a call for investigation.”

He however expressed disappointment that Omirhobo, “as a lawyer, is driven, maybe by prejudice or lazy intellectualism, to suggest that my investigation be conducted.

“Let it be clear to him and others like him that I never met herdsmen in their abode without the official company of the Nigerian police, local and state officials.

“I have the right to come up with my independent judgment and suggestions on how to end their conflict without recourse to whether the world would like to hear the truth or not.”

Gumi added that he found out armed herdsmen’s revolt against the society was borne out of injustices meted out to them by the society, “and they were fighting an existential war financed by ransom money collected from victims of their kidnapping.

“I also found out their willingness to stop all hostilities with assurance and guarantee of their safety and their cattle as opposed to the terror groups like Boko Haram and IPOB. This said, my case is closed.”

Critics of Gumi have blamed the Kaduna-based cleric over his advocacy for government to negotiate with bandits to end armed conflict with armed herdsmen in parts of the country.