Sheik Gumi: My encounter with bandits in Zamfara forests, says they were treated badly by the people of the state

By our reporter| Islamic Scholar Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Mahmoud Gumi on Thursday narrated his encounter during a trip to the camps of bandits in Zamfara State.

Gumi who was disturbed by the ever-rising rate of insecurity in the NorthWest region, visited the stronghold of the bandits to appeal for calm and peace.

The renowned scholar who briefed Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State at Government House, Gusau, said the bandits have turned into insurgents following the bad treatment from the people of the state.

He appealed to governments at all levels to make peace with the bandits, as dialogue remains the only option to end banditry and insecurity in Zamfara and the northwest.

He said, “In most of the bandits and Fulani camps we have visited in Zamfara, I come to understand that what is happening in the state is nothing but an insurgency.”

“Some people are of the view that the bandits should be fought and killed, but what we understand is that majority of them are illiterates who need proper education and enlightenment.”

According to Gumi, most of the bandits he came across are violent because of persistent attacks and harassment from a vigilante group.