..Defence minister says Sympathy For Bandits Fuels Bloodshed
… Warns Clerics, Influencers Against Moral Cover For Criminals
Daud Olatunji
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Musa, has warned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, and other perceived sympathisers of terrorists and bandits to desist from offering any form of support—direct or indirect—to criminal groups threatening Nigeria’s security.
Musa issued the warning on Wednesday during an official visit to Maiduguri, Borno State, where he said narratives that excuse or justify terrorism and banditry have continued to fuel insecurity across the country.
He stressed that criminal activities must never be cloaked in ethnic, regional or religious sentiments, noting that attempts to portray bandits as “brothers” or victims undermine national efforts to defeat terrorism.
“A friend of a thief is a thief,” the minister said, insisting that Nigerians must draw a clear line between compassion and complicity.
Musa explained that his comments were directed at statements previously attributed to Gumi, who had described bandits operating in forest areas as “our brothers” and argued that society could not function without them.
According to the defence minister, such rhetoric emboldens criminal networks responsible for killings, mass displacement and destruction of livelihoods in several parts of the country.
“Terrorism does not thrive on weapons alone; it also feeds on moral and rhetorical cover,” Musa said, adding that individuals who defend, excuse or shield criminals—whether through words, influence or silence—share responsibility for the havoc they wreak.
He maintained that Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and banditry would remain difficult as long as narratives blur the distinction between victims and perpetrators.
“The choice is clear,” the minister said. “You either stand with the law and the nation, or you are counted among those enabling criminality.”
Musa reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ending insecurity, calling on all Nigerians, particularly opinion leaders and clerics, to support security agencies rather than undermine their efforts.
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