Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has raised alarm over the increasing radicalization of bandits operating in Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions.
In a recent statement, Sheikh Gumi accused Nigerian authorities of turning these bandits into religious extremists akin to Boko Haram insurgents, who have wreaked havoc in the North-East.
Gumi’s warning comes in the wake of a video that surfaced showing Bello Turji, a notorious bandit leader, and his armed followers celebrating a “victory” over the Nigerian military in Zamfara State.
The video, which has since gone viral, shows the group jubilantly declaring that they are fighting for God, a shift from their earlier claims of fighting against ethnic marginalization.
Sheikh Gumi, who has long advocated for dialogue with bandits, expressed his concerns on Facebook.
He emphasised that the bandits’ shift from ethnic grievances to religious extremism could lead to a more intractable conflict.
“Initially, bandits were fighting an ethnic war that could be resolved. I warned if the kinetic approach is intensified, they will turn into ideologically motivated guerrilla warfare. Nobody listened,” Gumi wrote.
He further explained that while the crimes committed by these groups remain the same, their new religious motivations make the conflict more challenging to resolve.
“The difference between the former and the latter is that ideological war is almost intractable. Boko Haram is an example.
“They commit the same crime, but this time, they think they are serving God. The picture is gloomy,” Gumi added.
The video that prompted Gumi’s latest warning was reportedly filmed in Zamfara State, where bandits led by Bello Turji celebrated the destruction of two Nigerian military vehicles.
These Mines Resistant Armour Personnel (MRAP) vehicles had been abandoned by soldiers after getting stuck in the mud during an operation in the Kwashabawa area of Zurmi Local Government.
In the video, Turji and his followers, dressed in combat gear, are seen chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great) and proclaiming their victory over the Nigerian military.
Turji can be heard saying, “Bello Turji has seized two trucks. Nigerian Army, Bello Turji is coming for you, Insha Allah, if you don’t allow peace to reign. We are telling you and your clerics that we are with Allah.”
