Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has claimed that bandits operating in northern Nigeria justify their attacks on civilians as retaliation for the killing of their family members by security operatives and local vigilante groups.
Gumi disclosed this during an interview in which he was asked why armed groups frequently target ordinary Nigerians through kidnappings, killings and ransom demands instead of confronting politicians and military personnel.
The cleric, who has held several meetings with bandit groups in their camps, said he had personally questioned the armed groups about their decision to attack innocent residents.
According to him, the bandits alleged that military operations against them had resulted in the deaths of women and children, while accusing vigilante groups of arresting and killing their relatives.
“We asked them that. They said that initially, when the military went, they told them they were coming to fight cattle rustlers, but why do they kill their women and children?” Gumi said.
He added that the armed groups also complained about alleged killings carried out by local vigilantes, claiming that such incidents had intensified their determination to retaliate.
Explaining their perception of the violence, Gumi said the bandits viewed the situation as a continuous cycle of revenge and counterattacks.
“So they feel it’s a field of blood, revenge, attack and counter. So we as clergy, our own duty is to look stop. Let’s stop the bloodshed. Let’s come to a term. It’s too much,” he stated.
The cleric further claimed that some members of the armed groups had expressed dissatisfaction with the persistent violence, suggesting that they were also tired of the bloodshed.
“One of the body was telling us the bloodshed is too much. They too are not happy. And they say we are forced to do it,” he added.
Gumi Speaks On Bandits’ Weapons Supply
The Islamic cleric also raised concerns about the growing availability of sophisticated weapons among bandit groups, linking the development to ransom payments and competition between rival factions.
He explained that different groups were increasingly acquiring more powerful weapons to establish superiority over one another.
“It is possible now, they buy weapons more. Because there’s an arms race between them. You know there are different groups,” he said.
Gumi described the competition as a situation in which armed groups acquire more dangerous weapons to intimidate rival factions.
On the source of the weapons, he alleged that they were obtained through illegal international and local networks, likening the trade to the black market for illicit drugs.
“Well, it’s a black market like drugs. It’s a black market. If you have the money you get them,” he explained.
Gumi Suggests Foreign Interests May Be Involved
When asked whether foreign actors could be sponsoring the armed groups, Gumi suggested that foreign intelligence agencies might have a role in the supply of weapons.
“Foreign intelligence definitely have a hand in it,” he claimed.
He referenced international conflicts, arguing that powerful countries sometimes provide weapons and financial assistance to armed groups to advance their strategic interests.
Citing an example involving the Kurds, Gumi referred to comments attributed to US President Donald Trump about American support for Kurdish fighters against Iran.
“So you see when they have interests, they arm. If you have dissidents,” the cleric said.
Asked specifically whether the United States could be supplying weapons to bandits operating in Nigeria, Gumi said such a possibility could not be ruled out.
“Could it be possible that America is arming our bandits? It’s possible. It’s possible. Any other foreign that’s interested in Nigeria, possibly could be behind them,” he added.
However, Gumi did not provide evidence to substantiate his claims about foreign involvement in the supply of weapons to Nigerian bandits.
His comments come amid persistent insecurity across northern Nigeria, where armed groups have continued to carry out kidnappings, attacks on communities and killings, leaving thousands of residents displaced and several families affected.
