Why US won’t be able to eliminate terrorists in Nigeria – Gumi

Controversial Kaduna-based cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has strongly asserted that the United States will be unable to eliminate terrorists and bandits currently operating in Nigeria, arguing that military intervention by foreign powers has failed in other regions.

Speaking in an interview with VOP TV, Gumi maintained his long-held stance that the criminal elements responsible for killing, maiming, and kidnapping for ransom are “listening and reasonable human beings” who should be pacified rather than defeated by force.

“Myself, I’ve been trying to see how we can pacify these people (terrorists) and redirect them because they are human beings. They listen and reason, but if you say you want to use force against force, then you will compound the problem and make the thing dirty,” Mr Gumi said.

The Islamic cleric, a prominent advocate for amnesty for bandits, grounded his prediction of failure on the US military’s track record in the Middle East and Asia.

“If they (the US army) can cure and eliminate the terrorists, I will welcome them. But I know they cannot. They have fought for 20 years in Afghanistan, but they could not finish them. In Syria now, it is the same thing,” Mr Gumi explained.

Gumi warned that any attempt by the US to use air power or drop bombs would lead to massive collateral damage, stating: “These terrorists you see, it is not easy to come and drop bombs here and there and think you will finish them, because they have infiltrated the society. It is going to cause more damage. More Muslims and Christians will be killed if America drops a bomb in Nigeria.”

Gumi’s statement, which attempts to humanise the terrorists, comes amidst heightened diplomatic tension following President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged Christian genocide and his threat to invade Nigeria to eliminate terrorists.

The cleric’s repeated calls for dialogue and amnesty for bandits have frequently generated controversy, despite the fact that terrorist groups like Boko Haram have killed hundreds of thousands, kidnapped hundreds of schoolchildren (including the 2014 Chibok girls incident), and displaced nearly three million people in the North-East over the last decade.

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