Bandits: Islamic Cleric Sheik Gumi want make FG give amnesty to bandits, herdsmen and a share of di 'national cake'
Islamic cleric, Sheik Gumi don ask make goment give amnesty and enta into dialogue wit bandit herdsmen wey kidnap and maim pipo.
Sheik Gumi wey don dey move around di kontri to meet wit some of dis herdsmen say di reason why dem dey commit crime na because dem lack education and dem fit say dem no get access to dia part national cake. For inside interview wit BBC News Pidgin, he affirm say these bandits na herdsmen but no be necessarily Fulani pipo as many dey tag dem. Sheik Gumi say no be only Fulani men be herders for di kontri, oda tribes also dey involved in di banditry under di guise of herdsmen. See wetin e tok "From our interaction wit dem, I fit confam say dis bandit na herdsmen, but no be only Fulani pipo. No govment should waste im military to kill or arrest dem, we fit enta into dialogue to embrace dem. As we dey see dem criminal, dem dey see us as criminals too. We fit re-orientate dem, rehabilitate dem. Imagine pipo wey dey inside bush, no where to go, no education, no hospital, no where to take dia women if dem wan born. We push dem into criminality Make we educate dem, take care of dem and we can re-orientate dem. Because dem wan protect themselves from di military wey dey attack dem, dat na why dem dey buy weapons. And to be able to get weapons, dem need plenti money, dat na why dem dey demand ransom from dia victims. That's why they are harsh to dia victims because dem need money to buy drugs and weapons. When we start to tok to dem about God we see dia willingness to change They have been deceived several time wey goment go promise dem forgiveness but dey kill dia leaders. Dem dey ready to drop dia weapons once dem get Amnesty and mix with pipo again. Dey want to give dia weapons to goment on di condition say make dem give dem amnesty Dey want to be trained, go school, get hospitals and basic things to survive. Because dem no get any source of getting weapon and many of dem dey addicted to drugs, di only way to get money na through kidnapping. Na only through rehabilitation we fit break dia circle. And also give dem some animals to rear, because dis na wetin dem know." Wen we ask Sheik Gumi wia dis herdsmen dey get dia weapons from, he say: "We no fit challenge dem to ask wia dem get dis weapons from, we no wan act like we be military men. Wetin surprise me be say, wen dis nomadic bandits dey give you dia word, 'come', dem no go harm you. Dem get leaders, hierarchy and dem get honor. Nigerians should embrace peace and allow dem to have a share of di national cake. To dem they get nothing, nothing from di national cake." Sheik Gumi advise federal govemnet to quickly embrace dis herdsmen before Ideological terrorists go embrace dem. "Dem just be nomadic, not terrorist." He say part of dia ignorance be say dem no understand di effect of dia action. Dem no understand say di effects of dia crimes dey affect all oda innocent Fulani pipo. Wen asked wetin im think about pipo wey don suffer from di hands of dis herdsmen He say make govnment come in and compensate victims of dia atrocities from both sides -di herdsmen and oda Nigerians wey dey don lose family members to kidnapping.