“These terrorists you see, it is not easy to come and drop bombs here and there and think you will finish them, because they have infiltrated the society,” said Mr Gumi.
They deliberated on the root causes of insecurity and the role of religious leadership in finding lasting solutions.
Past dialogue and peace deals reached with bandits by state governors have failed to yield any significant results.
Mr Gumi said government dialogue with bandits should be holistic.
The spokesperson for the SSS, Peter Afunnaya, declined Peoples Gazette’s request for comments on Mr Gumi’s remarks.
He condoled with the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, the Zamfara government and the families of the affected security personnel over the deaths.
The self-appointed mediator for bandits said only religion can be used to pacify bandits to embrace peace.
The cleric warned that the moment bandits are designated as terrorists, “Islamic for that matter, the direct foreign Jihadist movements will set in in force.”
Mr Gumi, a self-appointed mediator between bandits and the government, has been at the forefront of articulating the sentiments of bandits wreaking havoc across the North.
Mr Gumi said his efforts to get amnesty for bandits and killer herdsmen have been sabotaged by President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to deploy troops against violent criminals.
