“Gumi Sparks Debate by Defending Negotiation with Bandits Over Violence”

Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi has stirred controversy by calling the kidnapping of schoolchildren a “lesser evil” compared with the killing of soldiers, arguing that negotiation with bandits could prevent greater bloodshed.

Speaking in a recent interview, Gumi said that although abducting minors is “evil,” it remains less grievous than outright murder — especially in cases where kidnapped children are later freed unharmed.

He referred to past mass abductions where victims were released without fatalities, suggesting this makes negotiation a more pragmatic option.

Gumi also defended his long‑standing advocacy for negotiating with bandits and other non‑state actors, asserting that engagement — not just military action — is essential to ending the cycle of violence in Nigeria.