Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Nigeria’s most controversial Islamic cleric, has once again set tongues wagging after he openly warned security agencies not to provoke armed groups currently in peace talks in Katsina State. Speaking via a Facebook post, the Kaduna-based scholar insisted that any confrontation now could undo fragile agreements with bandit leaders in the region.
Lens News gathered that his warning followed a recent peace meeting in Faskari Local Government, where a notorious bandit commander, Ado Alero, and armed herders sat with community leaders to chart a truce. During the meeting, Alero accused security forces of worsening tensions after one of his men was arrested without explanation, a move he claimed nearly derailed the discussions.
Gumi, who has long argued for dialogue with bandits instead of force, said that some groups were bent on sabotaging peace by exploiting the ignorance and thirst for revenge among young fighters. “They are used by capitalising on their ignorance and zeal to vengeance,” he wrote, stressing that lasting peace would require patience and education, not provocations.
The statement has ignited backlash online, with critics accusing the cleric of openly siding with criminals who have terrorised rural communities for years. Yet his supporters argue he is one of the few bold enough to step into the volatile forests and seek dialogue where government has failed.
For now, the truce in Katsina remains shaky, caught between desperate villagers craving peace and sceptical security operatives wary of giving bandits breathing space. Whether Sheikh Gumi’s words calm the situation or further inflame debate may determine if this latest peace effort holds—or crumbles into another round of bloodshed.
