Crime
I go with police, govt officials to negotiate with bandits – Sheikh Gumi
Popular Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Gumi addresses issues of banditry and terrorism.
The rate at which bandits and terrorists kill and kidnap Nigerians is on the increase, particularly in the northern part of Nigeria. In an attempt to combat this, the Federal Government has spent billions of naira to ensure that Nigerians are safe, but this issue continues to ravage the northern region. What do you say to this?
No matter how many expensive drugs you give to patients, if they are not the right drugs, they will not get cured. In fact, the drug needed may be very cheap, but you may be giving an expensive drug that is ineffective for the ailment. In this case, there is a need to diagnose what the problem is, especially among the youth. We must understand that these individuals are all young, whether they are Boko Haram or bandits; you will never see an old man among them. There is a social reason associated with all these disturbances, and there is also a lack of respect for leadership. The Federal Government must look at the root cause of this problem and start to apply the right formula to solve it. Spending trillions on ammunition and militarisation when the problem is social will yield no results. This will only compound the issue, leading people to become radicalised and turn to militancy.
Recently, you said the Federal Government should not have radicalised bandits and Boko Haram. Why did you say so?
Well, it is not the government that started it. A long time ago, when the conflict was a social or ethnic problem, they used the military to quell or suppress it. It is not suppressible.
When a society is neglected until it becomes harmful, like the military, the next line of action is dialogue—to sit down with them, especially when they express a desire for dialogue.
For instance, I have been there, I have seen them, I have talked to them, and they said they want dialogue. Why does the Federal Government emphasise the kinetic approach when the people say they want dialogue? If they do not want dialogue, that is a different issue. Then the government should come out with the armament.
Another thing is that our military is doing very well. It is overstretched from Maiduguri to Sokoto, from Sokoto to Lagos, and from Lagos to all parts of the country.
It is not just about the military; it can be the police. What we have to do is downsise the military, expand the police force, and empower them. It is really useless when we spend our money on modern gadgets, intelligence gathering, and all that; we are going astray.
The military is a fire engine. It is a fire-for-fire approach. These people they are fighting are guerrillas.
Using the military to fight a guerrilla war is like punishing the military. We have seen that in Afghanistan; now Israelis are fighting guerrillas in Gaza and are facing serious consequences for doing that.
The military is not designed to fight guerrillas. It is just like using a hammer to kill flies. One will destroy the house. The design of the military is not for this job. We have to empower the police, enhance intelligence gathering, and, more importantly, empower the people themselves. The trillions the government has spent on social welfare and amenities do not even need to be agitated for. This is all agitation. When people don’t see justice, they take justice into their own hands.
Many Nigerians want to know how you find bandits and talk to them, and why the Federal Government can’t use you as bait to apprehend them.
People should not talk like that. This is unintelligent. For instance, if you are in Lagos or Ogun State and you have access to see people, do you ask how you have access to them? These people are Nigerians; we can trace them through their relatives and all that easily.
When one approaches them as a negotiator or a preacher, they open their hearts. So, they can be approached and convinced. The question is: Why is the government not taking that course? Well, I can say the present government has learned from the legacy of the past.
The only thing I think is lacking here is that the talking is too much. If you stand on the right side, then we will get results.
Federal Government to empower and educate them. Meanwhile, do you agree that the motive of these terrorists is towards the Islamisation of Nigeria?
Before the herdsmen became bandits, they were fighting an ethnic war. They respect the government as an authority and have said that the problem is vigilante groups. The vigilantes started killing and massacring them; they had no peace, and that was their grievance. If there can be one vigilante group and a state police or local government police, some of them should be incorporated to have a balance. Nobody is saying anything about that, and everyone is doing their own business. Now we are all suffering.
Why have you taken the matter of speaking to these terrorist elements seriously?
I am in the eye of the storm, and I am a full-fledged Nigerian. I also have an interest in peace and tranquillity. I cannot wait for the official narrative because I have been in the army and I know how things go.
Today, 90 per cent of our intelligence is garbage. What we have left is just about 10 per cent. That is why we have coups because intelligence does not have a way to identify these people.
They also killed their leaders because no intelligence picked them up. Can we wait until we get a government that understands, then, we can make plans to intervene and see if it can calm nerves to achieve peace. No, as individuals, we have to do our best. Then I can advise the government on what we have seen.
One thing Nigerians should understand is that I have never been to any den of these people without officials of the government. I go with the police because one cannot go alone; you must go with them.
Only that they will tell you there is a perimeter—don’t come with some of them. Sometimes, I also go with traditional institutions and state government officials. My plan is only to broker peace with them. They open their doors for us to sit and discuss issues.
Do you think they are ready to sheath their swords?
At the moment, they have started shouting “Allahu Akbar,” and that is what we are fearing. Now they are committing the same crimes of killing, raping, and slaughtering.
When we went there, they were not shouting “Allahu Akbar.” Now, they are aggrieved, and they think it is a revengeful fight. They must have been engaged by religious fanatics. This is what we feared.
It has been alleged that these terrorists are being sponsored by some politicians to wreak havoc in the country, especially those in the northern region. What is your take on this?
No politician is sponsoring these people. We are all victims. The opposition is not even behind this. This is a natural reaction of people neglected for centuries.
Now they are exposed to the world and they want education. These people are exposed to the internet and see how much they are deprived.
They want to fight back. This act is not orchestrated by anybody. To our surprise, in a school built for herdsmen in a village between Abuja and Kaduna, over 600 of them, along with their families, have started schooling there. They are telling us they don’t want their children to be like them. Imagine if we did that all around the country.
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According to a statement on Friday, the arrested officers are: “AP/No. 207454, ASP Elomore Sodayo; AP/No. 332012, Inspector Adefila Adewale; AP/No. 332449, Inspector Olorunfemi Opeyemi; and AP/No. 332369, Inspector Odusola Peter.”
Speaking at the command headquarters in Akure on Friday, the state Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, said the police had zero tolerance for indiscipline and unprofessional conduct.
He added that a comprehensive investigation had been ordered to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the level of culpability of each officer involved.
He added that officers were expected to conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism, respect human dignity and comply strictly with the Force’s Code of Conduct and Standard Operating Procedures.
“The Nigeria Police Force is a disciplined and professional institution that does not condone any form of misconduct, incivility, or actions capable of undermining public confidence, promoting ethnic division, or bringing the Force into disrepute,” the commissioner said.
He assured the public that the investigation would be conducted to determine the facts of the case, adding that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary action.
This was said to be part of renewed efforts to tackle insecurity.
Disu gave the directive on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
According to the IG, the order followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the persistent insecurity in Benue State must be brought to an end.
He stressed that only authorised security personnel were legally permitted to bear firearms, warning that the era of passive policing was over.
“You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country. It will not be tolerated,” he said.
Disu disclosed that police officers had been empowered under Force Order 237 to respond decisively to armed threats without waiting for directives from superior officers.
“We are tired of losing our men. We are tired of police officers, soldiers, and other members of the security agencies dying anyhow.
“They have been instructed to shoot at sight. They have been trained to do what is necessary. But we will not succeed without the cooperation of all of you.”
He called on residents to support security agencies with credible information, stressing that public cooperation remains critical to the fight against armed criminality.
Benue State has witnessed repeated attacks by armed groups in recent months, resulting in the loss of lives, displacement of residents and destruction of property.
The federal government has continued to deploy additional security personnel and adopt tougher measures aimed at restoring peace in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Fresh fears have gripped residents of Ifite Awka following an alleged plot by suspected gunmen to establish camps in the area where four Fulani herders were killed two days ago.
Security reports indicate that the attack may have been aimed at scaring away visitors to the bush in an attempt to facilitate the establishment of new camps in the area.
Residents recalled that similar tactics had allegedly been used by criminal elements to take over communities, often with the assistance of local collaborators.
The area shares boundaries with Awka North Local Government Area, where there have been reports of gunmen operating in some communities.
Following the development, youths from Ifite Awka have stormed the Ifite Agu area in a manhunt for the suspected gunmen.
The development comes as Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has issued a fresh directive to traditional rulers and President-Generals (PGs) of communities to take charge of the security architecture in their respective areas in conjunction with local security operatives and the mayors of the 21 local government areas.
It was gathered that as early as 5 a.m., some youths in the area had moved into the bushes in search of the suspected gunmen and cattle reportedly missing following the incident.
The youths were accompanied by local hunters who assisted in the search.
Speaking with reporters, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Christian Aburime, confirmed the fresh directive to traditional rulers and President-Generals of communities across the state.
He said, “We have a government that is people-oriented and that is the government of Prof. Charles Soludo, who is a man that loves the people, is at home with the ordinary people and feels their pains.”
Aburime described the incident as unfortunate and urged the police and other relevant security agencies to take immediate action.
He noted that traditional rulers and President-Generals are the first points of contact when it comes to the security of lives and property in their communities, adding that the governor had reiterated his charge to security stakeholders to take control of security in their respective areas.
He, however, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out, but added that it would be premature to draw conclusions before the completion of investigations by the relevant security agencies.
“The issue of sabotage against security in Anambra State cannot be ruled out, and that could just be an attempt to undermine the efforts of the government. But I cannot categorically tell you that it is an act of sabotage. We have to wait for the investigations of the security agencies before drawing conclusions,” he said.
He added that the Agunechemba Security Squad was working to improve security in the state, noting that residents had commended the governor for the improved security situation.
“We have a good security architecture in place, and I can tell you that this could just be an isolated incident. Everything necessary that needs to be done will be done in that regard,” Aburime said.
He stressed that security was the responsibility of everyone, regardless of social status or position.
“It is very simple, and the governor has always said that security is everybody’s business. When it happens, it affects everyone, irrespective of class or position,” he said.
According to him, “The President-Generals and traditional rulers are the first points of security in their communities and should be able to ensure that there is no security breach in their respective localities.”
He urged residents to provide useful intelligence to security agencies, assuring them that their identities would be protected.
“If you see something, say something. These people doing these things are human beings, and they live in the localities. People should be able to know them. They should avail us of intelligence reports, and that will help us fish them out. Your identity will always be protected,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), CP Ahmed Sanusi, has urged residents, particularly youths, to resist attempts by police officers to search their mobile phones during stop-and-search operations.
Sanusi said such searches violate a directive issued by the Inspector-General of Police, stressing that officers are not permitted to randomly search the phones of members of the public.
The commissioner made the remarks during a press conference shared by News Central Television on Tuesday.
He explained that although mobile phones could be used as evidence in criminal investigations, they should only be examined after a suspect has been lawfully arrested and taken to a police station.
According to him, officers are not authorised to stop people on the road and demand access to their phones merely on suspicion that they may be involved in internet fraud or other criminal activities.
Sanusi urged residents confronted by officers demanding to search their phones to seek assistance by contacting the police emergency line or nearby police officers.
He reaffirmed the FCT Police Command’s commitment to enforcing the Inspector-General’s directive, warning that officers found violating the order would face disciplinary action.
He said the command would continue to take action against officers who abuse their authority or engage in extortion under the guise of conducting stop-and-search operations.
The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old man, Udeme Emmanuel Ekpeme, for allegedly impersonating a medical doctor and defrauding a woman of ₦500,000 under the guise of securing employment for her children at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday in Calabar.
According to the statement, Ekpeme was arrested by officers attached to the Uwanse Division in Calabar South Local Government Area following a petition by a 45-year-old woman, Mrs Edemawan Samuel.
The complainant alleged that the suspect falsely presented himself as a medical doctor and collected ₦500,000 from her after promising to facilitate employment for her children at UCTH.
Police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect allegedly used the false representation to deceive the woman into handing over the money.
Relevant exhibits believed to be connected to the alleged offences were also recovered during the investigation, while the suspect remains in police custody.
The police spokesperson said the suspect is being investigated for alleged impersonation, obtaining money by false pretence and unlawful use of medical equipment.
The Commissioner of Police, Rashid Afegbua, has directed detectives to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the full extent of the suspect’s activities and identify any other possible victims or accomplices.
The command said the suspect would be charged to court upon completion of investigations if sufficient evidence is established.
The police assured members of the public that further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.
The arrest comes weeks after the Edo State Police Command announced the arrest of a 46-year-old man, Osaze Okungbowa, who was accused of impersonating a medical doctor and allegedly delivering babies and trafficking newborns.
The Edo suspect was arrested following a complaint by a woman, Princess Oke, who reported that the baby she delivered under his care had gone missing, leading to a police investigation.
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