Sheikh Gumi Says Kidnapping Children A ‘Lesser Evil’ Than Killing Soldiers
Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has described the abduction of schoolchildren as a “lesser evil” compared to the killing of soldiers, stressing that negotiating with bandits is necessary to prevent greater bloodshed.
In a BBC interview shared on Tuesday, Gumi acknowledged that kidnapping minors is “evil” but argued it is less severe than murder, particularly when children are eventually released unharmed.
“Saying that kidnapping children is a lesser evil than killing your soldiers, definitely is lesser. Killing is worse than kidnapping, but they are all evil. Not all evils are of the same power,” he said, referencing previous incidents, including a mass abduction in Kebbi State where all victims were freed safely.
“So it’s a lesser evil than, like, what happened in Kebbi. They abducted children, and they were released. They didn’t kill them,” he added.
Gumi’s comments come after more than 315 people—including 303 students and 12 teachers—were abducted in Niger State.
On December 7, the Federal Government confirmed the release of 100 students, while another 50 reportedly escaped earlier.
Asked what he would say to the parents of the kidnapped children, Gumi replied, “It’s an evil, and we pray that they escape.”
He defended his position that engaging bandits is unavoidable, calling negotiation a practical approach to save lives and maintain peace.
“That word [‘we don’t negotiate’], I don’t know where they got it from. It’s not in the Bible. It’s not in the Quran. In fact, it’s not even in practice. Everybody’s negotiating with outlaws, non-state actors, everybody. So who got it, and where did they get that knowledge from? We negotiate for peace and our strategic interests. If negotiation will bring stoppage to bloodshed, we will do it.”
Gumi stressed that his interactions with bandits were always conducted alongside authorities and with media presence.
He said he last met directly with bandit groups in 2021, making efforts to unite factions, though the federal government at the time “was not keen” on the initiative.
He completely withdrew after the groups were officially labelled terrorists.
Addressing Nigeria’s broader security challenges, Gumi said the military alone cannot resolve the crisis. “We need a robust army… but even the military is saying our role in this civil unrest, in this criminality, is 95% kinetic. The rest is the government, the politics, and the locals. The military cannot do everything.”
He also clarified that most bandits are Fulani herdsmen, not urban Fulani, and that their actions are linked to survival and cattle rearing. “They are fighting an existential war…
“Their life revolves around cattle. In fact, they inherit them. They’ll tell you, ‘This cow I inherited from my grandfather.’ They are mostly Fulani herdsmen, not the Fulani town, because you have to differentiate between the two.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
