Gumi Blasts Tinubu Over Visit to Boko Haram, Other Terrorists
Popular Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has questioned why no government official has attempted to engage Boko Haram insurgents and bandits through dialogue, similar to the approach adopted by former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in addressing militancy in the Niger Delta.
Gumi made the remarks in a Facebook post on Saturday, where he recalled how Jonathan and Osinbajo visited militants in the Niger Delta creeks and subsequently introduced programmes aimed at ending the prolonged insurgency in the oil-rich region.
“The former President Jonathan visited delta militants in the creeks, so also the former vice president Osinbajo. They all came up with a program to tame the militants,” Gumi wrote.
The cleric questioned why a similar approach had not been adopted in tackling insecurity in northern Nigeria by the President Bola Tinubu-led government.
“Who is going to visit BH and Bandits to tame them without fools castigating them?” he asked.
Gumi has consistently advocated dialogue with armed groups operating in Nigeria’s North-West and North-East, arguing that negotiations, rather than military action alone, offer a more sustainable path to ending the violence.
Over the years, he has visited bandit camps in states including Zamfara, saying the engagements were intended to understand the grievances of the armed groups and encourage peaceful resolutions.
His stance has remained controversial, with critics accusing him of legitimising criminal groups responsible for killings, kidnappings and other violent crimes. Supporters, however, have argued that some of his interventions contributed to the release of abducted victims.
The retired military officer has repeatedly denied supporting terrorism or banditry, maintaining that his advocacy is focused on ending bloodshed through dialogue, rehabilitation and reintegration.
The Federal Government’s Niger Delta Amnesty Programme was introduced in 2009 under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and continued under Jonathan. The initiative involved the disarmament of thousands of militants in exchange for vocational training, stipends and reintegration support, leading to a significant reduction in attacks on oil installations.
Jonathan had earlier engaged Niger Delta militants during his tenure as vice president, including a visit to the creeks where he met former militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo. He later said the meeting helped lay the foundation for the amnesty programme.
Osinbajo also visited Niger Delta communities in 2017 while serving as acting president, meeting with militants, traditional rulers and community leaders.
At the time, he defended the engagement, saying those in the creeks were Nigerian citizens with legitimate grievances that required attention alongside security measures.
