By Segun Otokiti
*Says Nigerian government knows every terrorist by name, location
WorldStage– Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Nigeria’s controversial Islamic scholar, believed to have rare access to armed groups in Northern Nigeria, and an advocacy for dialogue with armed groups, including IPOB and Boko Haram has disclosed that security agencies are always part of his negotiating team with bandits.
The Kano State born eldest son of the late Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, the first Grand Khadi of the old Northern Region who was once a military officer said on a live TV interview on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 that he never negotiated with terrorists alone without being accompanied by representatives from the police, military, and other security agencies.
Gumi, currently the Mufti and Mufassir at the Sultan Bello Central Mosque in Kaduna said during the interview with DRTV that Nigerian government knew every terrorist by name, location.
“The government knows every terrorist by name and location. I don’t go alone to negotiate, I go with the police, military, and other security agencies,” he said.
“I would go to the Emirs. In fact, when we went to one forest. I even went with women into the bush.”
He argued that the government has detailed intelligence on these individuals, questioning why they had not been apprehended when their identities and whereabouts were known.
He reiterated his stance that the government should prioritize negotiation and non-kinetic approaches over military force, suggesting that bandits were often “misguided” individuals reacting to social neglect.
Gumi warned that continued aerial bombardments could result in civilian casualties and further radicalize local populations.
The Federal Government in response to Gumi’s past commentaries categorized them as reckless.
The Minister of Information and Orientation, Mohammed Idris was recently quoted as saying that while the government was open to constructive suggestions, security agencies may reprimand or question anyone whose remarks were deemed “reckless” or a threat to national security.
