Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, says there is no wisdom in unleashing Nigerian military might against criminal bandits since this would provide no solution to the festering crisis of banditry in Nigeria.

In a statement on his Facebook page on Monday, the cleric argued that purchasing more military hardware or deploying the military to combat banditry would worsen the insecurity crisis. 

Mr Gumi said the government’s decision to purchase fighter aircraft and conduct military operations in the region would drain the economy to a standstill.

Describing this as a miscalculation and unwise, the cleric said, “When you don’t have the monopoly of the instruments of violence, then dialogue has the monopoly of resolving the conflict.”

He further said that armed bandits would not leave Nigeria as they were ready to engage Nigerian soldiers in battle. 

“Let us face the reality, these herdsmen are going nowhere, and they are already in battle gear, and we know our Military very well, so before things get messy, we need cold brains to handle this delicate situation,” Mr Gumi said.

The self-appointed bandit mouthpiece, Mr Gumi, said his effort to get bandits to drop their arms had not produced the needed results because president Muhammadu Buhari has remained politically gullible.

“I have met many of the bandit leaders to see a way out of this gridlock. I have talked to the political class and security agents. Except for an exception, most state governors want a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

“The police and other security outfits have also realized the enormity of the problem. But, unfortunately, the presidency for what appears to be political gullibility and the military for budgetary reasons as they are the most beneficiary of conflicts of this nature doesn’t seem to be on the same page,” Mr Gumi said.

I’m recent times, coordinated killings and kidnapping of citizens for ransom have become a recurring incident in North-East Nigeria. 

Bandits continue to kidnap schoolchildren for ransom across Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, and Zamfara, forcing school closure, and in June, a Nigerian air force jet got shot down in Zamfara.

However, Garba Shehu said the Buhari-led regime was dealing with bandits.

According to him, Mr Buhari did not proscribe the group as it did the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) because the president had issued a shoot at sight order against any violent groups in possession of Ak-47.