Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has questioned who would be willing to engage Boko Haram insurgents and armed bandits through dialogue, citing past efforts by former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to negotiate with Niger Delta militants.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Gumi recalled that Jonathan visited militants in the Niger Delta creeks, while Osinbajo also held engagements that contributed to peace-building efforts and the introduction of programmes aimed at ending militancy in the region.
According to the cleric, any attempt to adopt a similar approach with Boko Haram and bandits would likely attract criticism from some Nigerians. “The former President Jonathan visited delta militants in the creeks, so also the former vice president Osinbajo. They all came up with a programme to tame the militants. Who is going to visit BH and Bandits to tame them without fools castigating them?” he wrote.
Gumi’s remarks come amid continued debate over the best strategy to address insecurity in Nigeria, with differing opinions on whether dialogue should complement military operations against insurgents and armed bandits.
