Controversial Islamic scholar and cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has again kicked against the declaration of bandits as terrorists by the Nigerian government.
Gumi, in an interview with Daily Trust said bandits are only committing terrorism but should not be described as terrorists.
According to the cleric long known for his advocacy for bandits, labeled the calls for bandits to be declared terrorists as a call purely driven by prejudice and bigotry.
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He said, “That is unfortunately driven by prejudice and bigotry. IPOB is an organization, it does not mean Igbo. Boko Haram is an organization and it does not mean Kanuri.
“So you can declare Boko Haram terrorists, you can declare IPOB terrorists. In this case, what are you going to declare terrorists?
“Bandit is a vague description. What are you declaring? You want to say herdsmen are terrorists? That is one. Secondly, IPOB now is declared a terrorist, how has it changed? America, European Union, everywhere did not recognized that declaration.
“They have not sanctioned them, stopped them from travelling, contributing money, probably because they are not us, they are them.
“And in this case, if you say Fulani herdsmen are terrorist because that is the only words you say, you cannot say bandits are terrorists, bandits commit terrorism but they are not terrorists.”
However, not long after the controversial cleric stated this, the Federal High Court in Abuja declared bandits as terrorists.
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