Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has said he would personally spearhead calls for Nnamdi Kanu’s amnesty if the jailed IPOB leader demonstrates genuine remorse and publicly appeals for peace.
Gumi made the declaration in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, stressing that reconciliation, rather than force, is the only sustainable path to lasting peace in Nigeria.
“This Kanu that was jailed for terrorism, for agitating that our soldiers should be killed — if this same Kanu shows remorse and calls for peace, I will be in the forefront calling for amnesty for him,” he said.
He argued that the Nigerian Army “is not designed for a guerrilla war, no army is designed for these kind of people.” Gumi urged authorities to take advantage of opportunities when armed groups are willing to abandon violence.
“Since we have people who are ready to put down their arms, it’s not every time we use kinetic approach,” he added.
Gumi also highlighted Nigeria’s history of reconciliation as a model for dealing with political and armed agitation.
“Shagari gave amnesty to Ojukwu, Yar’Adua gave amnesty to the Niger Delta militants who committed acts of terrorism. This is how we are looking for a way out,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s diversity requires a culture of forgiveness, lamenting what he called selective narratives around national leaders and conflicts.
“We have lost leaders, we are asking for peace. If any Muslim has in the past killed one single Nigerian leader who is not a Muslim, it would have been in the air every day — but we are people who forgive,” he said.
Responding to criticisms of his engagement with armed Fulani groups, Gumi insisted that his advocacy is not for bandits or separatists, but for Nigeria’s unity and long-term stability.
“First, I am not advocating for them; I am advocating for Nigeria, so that we can see how we can tackle this menace,” he said.
He cited recent kidnappings in Kebbi, Kwara, and Bauchi states as proof that the crisis has escalated beyond what military force alone can resolve.
“Children were just kidnapped in Kebbi and Kwara and Bauchi, and you want a military, which even America could not succeed in Afghanistan, even Israel could not succeed in a small piece of land,” Gumi said.
Gumi also claimed that attacks on his character are politically motivated, particularly from Zamfara State, where authorities have refused to adopt a peace pact he proposed to address banditry.
“Right now they are attacking Gumi because Zamfara has refused to come into agreement with them,” he said.
