Bandits Told Me They Are Forced To K!ll Because They Fear Being K!lled If They Stop — Islamic Cleric Sheikh Gumi
Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has revealed that some bandits told him they were being forced to continue k+lling because they feared they would be k+lled if they stopped.
Speaking during an interview on PAP News on Friday, Gumi called for an end to the vi%lence, urging all parties to embrace dialogue and reconciliation.
When questioned the reason why only ordinary Nigerians were constantly being kidn@pped, k+lled and extorted instead of politicians and military personnel, he responded saying;
“We asked them that. When military go to them and say they are coming to fight cattle rattlers, Why did they k+ll their women and children? Why are they k+lling their women and children? Why are the vigilantes arresting them and k+lling them? Why?”
Describing the situation as a cycle of vi%lence, Gumi said, “So they feel it’s a field of bl%od, revenge, att%ck and counter. So we as clergy, our own duty is to say, let’s stop the bl%odshed. Let’s come to terms. It’s too much.”
He further disclosed what some of the armed men told him about their involvement in the k+llings.
“They too are not happy. And they told me, ‘We are forced to do it.’ And they say because if they stop, they will be k+lled. So we need to reaffirm to them, to put confidence in them that they will not be k+lled,” he said.
On allegations that the bandits were being sponsored, Gumi said it was possible, questioning where the millions of naira paid as ransom ended up.
“It’s possible now, you know, it’s possible now because all those millions of naira being given to them as ransom, where do they go to? They buy we@pons, more,” he said.
He also described the arms trade as a black market, alleging that foreign intelligence interests were behind the proliferation of weapons.
“It’s a black market, like dr¥gs. It’s a black market. If you just have the money, you get them. And their suppliers are foreign intelligence, they definitely have a hand in it”
