Popular Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has said proscribing bandits as terrorists will result in more violence.
VANTAGE NEWS had reported that the activities of the bandits in Nigeria have been declared acts of terrorism by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday.
The court, in a landmark judgment on Thursday, said “Yan Bindiga group”, “Yan Ta’adda group” and others alike are active terrorists.
But Gumi, who said bandits are herdsmen, believes the declaration will add to the problems.
He said this in a statement issued by his Media Consultant and the Dan-Iyan Fika, Malam Tukur Mamu.
Gumi said, “I think the federal government has succumbed to media blackmail by a section of the country. It will not have any practical value because even before the declaration, they are being fought and treated as terrorists.”
“So it’s just a nomenclature which I believe will not change the dynamics on the ground.
“If you can remember IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) was also declared a terrorist organization, the declaration was even backed by the order of the Court but as you can see even the international community did not recognise FG’s declaration of IPOB. So it has failed to be effective or to achieve the desired results.
“They have not been banned from travelling to other countries while their citizenship remains intact, it has not been denounced. So what type of declaration is that?
“I sincerely hope that Nigerians will not take the herdsmen as terrorists but should regard the criminality of the few among them against innocent people as acts of terrorism just as we see IPOB and their attacks on security agencies and other northern citizens as acts of terrorism. Very few herdsmen are bandits if you go through their population.
“I hope this declaration will not give the license to people to be profiling herdsmen in general as terrorists and taking the law into their hands against them.
“It will cause more mayhem. The declaration will not change anything, it will not change the dynamics. Already the military is engaging them. It didn’t stop them from kidnappings and killings. The declaration will not end their aggression against the society.
“The Fulani banditry is a socio-economic problem. We have seen it, we interacted widely with them. We told the federal government the way out.
“It can only be won through engagement, dialogue and justice. That is why today there is relative peace in the Niger Delta because government has accepted the painful reality of rehabilitating and empowering them.
“There has to be equitable distribution of wealth in Nigeria and justice for everyone. People don’t want to accept it, before the issue of banditry that now affects all of us, the Fulanis have suffered so much.
”They have lost their legitimate means of livelihood, I mean their cows through cattle rustling and extortion by security agencies. That has to be addressed as a means of genuine reconciliation and integration. They should have a sense of belonging.”
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