Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, has said Fulani herdsmen were mere victims of injustice pervading the society, saying that arms and drugs dealers took advantage to lured them into banditry, terrorising the North-West zone of the country.
Gumi noted that the killings, kidnappings by bandits could only be stopped by hijacking back the Fulani herdsmen from the evil arms and drug dealers, and ‘not by the kill them all approach’ adopted by the government.
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The controversial cleric spoke at a peace conference organised by Centre For the Advancement of Human Dignity and Value in Kaduna on Thursday.
Recall that Gumi had consistently advocated for an amnesty for bandits.
He said, “I realised one thing; lack of religion, lack of knowledge and ignorance are the cause of insecurity. Enlightenment is the cure; when you enlighten them you can cure them, when you want to cure the problem the way it was created, you go into bloodshed and this is exactly what we are witnessing now.
“For three years the government has spent $1bn and now you need another $1bn, but I said one third of that $1bn will enlighten them and stop the killing.”
