Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi recently defended his past interactions with armed groups, stating he “took the bull by the horns” in 2021 as a necessary step to address Nigeria’s insecurity.
In a post shared on Facebook on Thursday, Gumi said decades of neglect of disadvantaged populations had created deep socio-economic inequalities, leaving many youths vulnerable to manipulation by external forces seeking to destabilise the country.
According to him, the widening gap between the rich and the poor has turned many young people into “ready-made foot soldiers” in cycles of violence that enable the exploitation of Nigeria’s resources.
He also criticised the political class for being largely unresponsive, while noting that the intellectual community is preoccupied with survival struggles.
Reflecting on his past efforts, Gumi said he “took the bull by the horns” in 2021 by attempting to reintegrate violent elements into society rather than allowing them to be further radicalised.
He wrote: “Nigeria for decades has ignored the underprivileged section of its society. There is a significant socio-economic discrepancy, and the society is stratified. This makes our teaming youth ready-made foot soldiers for any foreign interest trying to divide us and rule. To plunder our resources while we are involved in a vicious circle of violence.
”Unfortunately, the political class is unattentive while the intelligentsia is held hostage in the struggle for existence.
“In 2021, I took the bull by the horns in an attempt to bring some of these uncouth elements back to our fold rather than letting them be exploited by the devil.
“I still believe this is the only way out of our predicament. However, it needs the political will and determination to achieve.
“May Allah bring peace back to our nation.”
