Controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has reacted to the emergence of a new terrorist group in Nigeria.
Recall that the Nigerian Army had recently confirmed the emergence of a new terrorist group identified as Lakurawa in the Northwest States of Sokoto and Kebbi.
Reacting to the development, Gumi who has become popular for his advocacy on dialogue with terrorists said he is willing to dialogue with members of the terror group in an attempt to deradicalize them if the Nigerian government would accept his proposal.
He said; “I’m just hearing about this from the media, I don’t have any hint. Dealing with terror is a big task, it’s more than just kinetic; you have to deradicalise people and change their psychic but if you leave boys with guns in the bush with fake knowledge then we are in trouble because they will misuse it.
“From what I read, it’s an infiltration of foreign terrorists coming in to collaborate with the aggrieved herdsmen. There is no need to put much pressure on them (herders) to the extent that they would bring in collaborators.
“When it’s an ordinary herders’ revolt, it’s different from when there is a religious inclination, where there are religious fanatics, it becomes very difficult to approach.
“Once you have people of your country, you don’t give them the chance to be influenced by foreigners, when you start bombarding them instead of engaging in a dialogue; that’s the result of what we are seeing.
“I was in the bush talking to them myself and I found out that with the right programme, we could have won them to our side and not allow foreign terrorists to come into our land.
“We need a commitment from the government to dialogue with them. But if you want to combine the two where one team is dialoguing and the other is attacking, then it won’t work.
“The government should be ready to spend money not on defence but on social rehabilitation. A lot of Nigerians are ready to do that job and I’m in the eye of the storm but I have no option.”
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