Ahmad Gumi, a controversial Islamic cleric, has said that he will no longer be mediating for armed bandits following their designation as terrorists by a court of law.
As a result of his visits to bandits hiding out in the forests of Zamfara and Niger states, Gumi has provided them with medical assistance and urged the Nigerian government to offer them a broad amnesty, similar to that granted to terrorists in the Niger Delta.
Before launching his campaign, the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, and his counterpart in Katsina, Aminu Masari, met with bandits in their respective states to discuss possible solutions.
Following a failure of this technique to put an end to the threat, the governors backed military action against the bandits..
Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State, and Abubakar Sani, the governor of Niger State, have both been vocal in their opposition to negotiations with the outlaws.
Gumi had stated that his efforts in that campaign were for the cause of Nigeria's peace and economic success, but he had expressed disappointment that his efforts had been thwarted by others.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had defined the activities of bandit groups to be acts of terrorism, according to the court's ruling.
In light of the ruling, more people have called on the Nigerian government to declare bandits wreaking havoc in the country's north-western and north-central regions to be terrorists.
Nigeria's Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mohammed Abubakar, had filed an ex-parte plea in the Federal High Court, seeking to prohibit the heinous acts of "bandits" who have waged a relentless battle against ordinary Nigerians in the North-west and North-central States.
A brutal campaign of kidnapping and killing its prisoners has taken place across Zamfara, Katsin, Kaduna, Benue, and Sokoto states in recent months.
And now that the bandits have been designated as terrorists, Gumi has stated that it will be perilous for him to continue to communicate with them, according to sources.
"Since the federal government has designated them terrorists, I have no further business dealings with them," he stated.
The thought of putting myself in danger or drawing attention to myself unnecessarily is not something I want to do again.
"I have done everything I could to advise the nation on the best way to go about it, but it appears that my advice has fallen on deaf ears."
He has previously spoken out in favor of the Nigerian government, urging it to pardon bandits and establish a "federal ministry of nomadic affairs" to deal with the problems and complaints of Fulani cattle herders, as well as to extend amnesty to thebandits.
Nevertheless, Gumi stated that he would now be a "spectator in the crisis."
"I have put my life in peril for the sake of peace by going into the forest and engaging the bandits." Rock bandits are among them, and they are hazardous, as they are armed and ready to fire.
It is risky, and yet we put our lives in jeopardy in order to ensure that we bring peace to this nation. Someone had to take the risk, and we did, and we praised God that we were able to emerge safely and with knowledge on how to resolve the situation.
"Perhaps in the future, when the political situation improves, we will be able to repeat the process in order to ensure that there is peace, harmony, and tranquillity in the country.
Source: Sahara reporters