Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has once again urged the Nigerian government to pursue dialogue with armed groups, insisting that negotiation is more effective than military action in tackling insecurity.
Sheikh Gumi, known for his controversial but influential views, recalled that negotiations with militants in the Niger Delta yielded positive results, and warned against repeating what he called the country’s “failed war strategy” against Boko Haram and bandits.
Posting on his Facebook page, Gumi stated: “They say negotiations don’t work. It’s a lie. It worked with militants in Niger Delta creeks. Rather, it’s war that doesn’t work. Sixteen years we’re still fighting Boko Haram and 11 years fighting bandits. It’s stupidity doing the same thing and expecting different results.”
The scholar explained that the cycle of violence continues because both sides react with hatred and demonization. “The vicious cycle of violence erupts when they hate, and you hate; they demonize, and you demonize; they go violent, and you go violent,” he said.
He urged that breaking this cycle requires a commitment to conflict resolution grounded in negotiation, compromise, and an intellectual, faith-based, and moral rejection of violence.
Gumi’s remarks reignite the debate on Nigeria’s approach to tackling armed groups, with critics of military operations arguing that years of combat have failed to end insurgency or banditry, while proponents maintain that dialogue alone cannot guarantee long-term peace.
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