Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called for amnesty to be extended to anyone carrying deadly weapons in any part of the country.
Gumi has been holding peace talks with bandits in the north and recently called on the government to grant them amnesty.
Speaking with PUNCH on Sunday, the cleric said everyone carrying a gun should also be included for the country to have a fresh start.
He said: “It should be a blanket amnesty, not only the Fulani. Anybody that is carrying weapons, you give him amnesty. Let’s do it for all these people carrying weapons and Nigeria will open a new page. Don’t be surprised, these Boko Haram people, if you approach them the way you approach these people (bandits), they will listen. If you talk, it is better than all this language of might. Dialogue will give you what violence cannot give you.”
He noted that northern governors except Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai had accepted his approach.
“El-Rufai is the only one left. There is no other governor. But he is a very intelligent man, and if he sees reason, he will (key into my mission). I don’t see any governor that will not key in. The more you get close, the more you see reason with these people, and to ask why are they doing it,” Gumi said.
