Popular Islamic preacher, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi says Zamfara State is experiencing insurgency and not banditry as generally believed.
Gumi, who recently held talks with some bandit leaders in the state, stated this when he met Governor Bello Matawalle on Thursday, The Punch reported.
“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,” the Islamic cleric said.
He noted that the bandits have morphed into insurgents following persistent ill-treatment from residents of the state.
The Islamic cleric identified a local vigilante, “Yansakai” as responsible for most cases of harassment of the bandits causing them to attack residents in return.
According to him, dialogue remains the best way to end the security challenge.
Recall that Gumi visited Tubali and Makkai forests in Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara, where he met the bandit leaders and appealed for calm.
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“Some people are of the view that the bandits should be fought and killed, but what we understand is that the majority of them are illiterates who need proper education and enlightenment,” Gumi said.