‘Jonathan, Osinbajo Visited Niger Delta Militants, Who Will Visit Boko Haram, Bandits?’ — Gumi

• Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi has questioned why Nigerian leaders who negotiated with Niger Delta militants have not adopted a similar approach with Boko Haram and bandits, arguing that dialogue helped restore peace in the oil-producing region.

Controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has questioned why no government official has visited Boko Haram terrorists and bandits to negotiate an end to their violence, similar to how past leaders engaged Niger Delta militants.

Gumi made the remarks in a Facebook post on Saturday, recalling how former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo visited militants in the Niger Delta creeks in efforts to broker peace.

According to him, both leaders met with militants and later introduced programmes aimed at ending militancy in the oil-producing 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,” he wrote.

The cleric questioned who would be willing to engage Boko Haram fighters and bandits in a similar manner without attracting criticism.

“Who is going to visit BH and Bandits to tame them without fools castigating them?” he asked.

Gumi has long advocated dialogue with armed groups operating in Nigeria’s North-West and North-East, arguing that negotiation, rather than military action alone, offers a more sustainable solution to the crisis.

Over the years, he has visited bandit camps in Zamfara and other states, saying his engagements were aimed at understanding their grievances and securing peace.

His approach has generated mixed reactions, with critics accusing him of legitimising criminal groups, while supporters argue that his interventions have contributed to the release of several kidnap victims.

The cleric has consistently denied supporting terrorism, insisting that his efforts are focused on ending bloodshed through dialogue and rehabilitation.

The Niger Delta Amnesty Programme, introduced in 2009 under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and sustained by Jonathan, led to the disarmament and reintegration of thousands of militants, significantly reducing attacks on oil facilities.

Jonathan had previously disclosed that his meeting with ex-militant leader Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) as vice president helped lay the foundation for the amnesty programme.

Similarly, Osinbajo visited Niger Delta communities as Acting President in 2017, engaging militants and traditional rulers while maintaining that those in the creeks had legitimate grievances that deserved attention.