A Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has advised the Federal Government to dialogue with the bandit instead of adopting a kinetic approach to deal with them.
Mr Gumi, who stated this during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday, noted that military action has made the terrorists more deadly and monstrous.
The cleric also backed the federal government decision not to pay ransom to rescue the abducted schoolchildren in Sokoto and Kaduna states.
According to him, instead of paying ransom, the government should rather use non kinetic approach to secure the safe release of the victims.
He also said the N1billion ransom requested by the terrorists was merely a bargaining tool.
“I believe no ransom should be paid, but engage these people, give them hope, and not only in this children’s case.
“I’m so sad that the leaders are just realising that it is turning into a war. It has been a war and not mere criminality.
“If we can see Israel and Hamas sitting down to exchange prisoners, I don’t see why we cannot negotiate.
“I support that the government should not pay any ransom, but what I say is that the government must dialogue with them.
“From my knowledge about their psychology, that amount they are pitching is because they want to have a bigger bargaining power, otherwise, I don’t think in their wildest dreams, they would think the government would give them that money.
“What is happening now is that we are seeing that these bandits are getting more and more vicious. Before now, they don’t do what they do now.
“We can only attribute that to the kinetic approach, which is overemphasised. When we hear the politicians talk, nothing is done about it to overcome these people. For example, now we are fighting bandits.
“They are anonymous, how can you fight who you do not even know? You say lets go in, map them out and all but all these intelligence information are not there.
“How can you know somebody from satellite and the high-handed approach is what is making it worse. They are now kidnapping small children and they are threatening death which they don’t do before.
“So, I think what we need to do is go back to the drawing board and truly be non-kinetic.
“But when you continue dropping bombs, spraying gas on the women and children, they find no sympathy and empathy for our children. So, this is it, an eye for an eye.
“So, we have to change our tactics, we have to change our style. What we have been doing has not been productive,” he said.
The cleric also stated that it is rather humiliating to have the military get involved in issues of civilian insurgency.
“Also, the military, I was in the military myself and I think it is humiliating to say the military should take care of civilian insurgency.
“All we need is very good detective work, very good policing and very good social programs. These people hide civilians and do what they do.
“Let us not humiliate and disgrace our military. This is not their job. It is the job of the politicians, police, and intelligence,” Mr Gumi added.
