Sheikh Gumi Rejects Fresh Calls for His Arrest, Says Critics Are Misinformed and Driven by Hatred

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has rejected fresh calls for his arrest over his security-related comments.

He says critics misunderstand his actions and oppose dialogue aimed at reducing violence nationwide.

Prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has criticized renewed demands for his arrest, describing those pushing the calls as people who lack understanding and are driven by intolerance and hostility. Gumi made his remarks in a Facebook post on Sunday while responding to growing pressure over his frequent comments on banditry and national security.

In his message, the cleric said his critics prefer anger and accusations rather than honest discussions about Nigeria’s worsening security problems. He described such individuals as people who show no sense of responsibility and accused them of refusing to accept different views on how to tackle banditry. According to him, nothing he has done amounts to any form of wrongdoing, yet some people want him punished simply because they cannot tolerate alternative ideas.

Gumi referred to one of his well known interventions, his January 2021 visit to the Sabon Garin Yadi forest in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State. He said the visit was not done in secret and was carried out with the full approval and escort of the Commissioner of Police at the time, who represented the Inspector General of Police. He explained that more than six hundred armed bandits and their leaders were present at the meeting and agreed to lay down their arms if government met certain basic conditions, such as providing social amenities and ending indiscriminate arrests.

The cleric claimed that authorities failed to honor their part of the discussions, which he believes contributed to the breakdown of the peace effort. He questioned why an attempt to encourage dialogue should lead to calls for his arrest when the goal was to prevent further loss of lives.

Gumi insisted that promoting peaceful engagement is not a crime and warned that shutting down dissenting voices only makes insecurity worse. He ended his statement with a prayer, asking God to guide Nigeria and protect the country from intolerance and hostility toward differing opinions.