Gumi Says Bandit Negotiation Door Is Permanently Closed After Terrorism Designation

The Islamic cleric, who has previously visited armed bandits in their forest hideouts in an effort to broker dialogue, says that option is no longer available. In a widely shared video, Gumi stated that the Nigerian government's decision to designate bandits as terrorists has permanently closed the door for clerics like himself to negotiate with the groups.

"The only door that is remaining is for us clergy to go in and negotiate with them, that is closed permanently," he said.

Gumi's concern, as expressed in the video, is not about defending bandits. It is about what happens when negotiation is replaced entirely by military confrontation with groups that have already shown some willingness to talk.

"We don't want to push them into terror beyond what they are doing now because it can get worse. They have shown us their willingness to negotiate, so people that are ready to negotiate, why are you rushing to declare them bandits so that you can use whatever weapons you bought," he stated.

He also pointed to what he says is a direct consequence of the terrorism designation in Zamfara State. Previously, he said, some of these groups would apprehend Boko Haram members and hand them over to authorities. That kind of informal cooperation, whatever its limitations, represented a degree of separation between the bandit groups and designated terror organisations.

"Before they used to catch Boko Haram and present them to the authorities in Zamfara, but now they are all terrorists," Gumi said.

His argument, read plainly, is that the terrorism label removes any incentive for these groups to distinguish themselves from more extreme organisations, and eliminates the only non-military channel that existed for reducing violence.