Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said there was nothing unusual for renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi to act as a bridge between the government and bandits terrorising Zamfara State.
Mohammed spoke while featuring on TVC’s ‘This Morning’ show monitored on Friday morning.
He said the government was using some back channels to address the security challenges in the country, adding that the bandits might be ready to listen to the cleric than they would to the government.
Photos of Sheikh Gumi with some bandits in Shinkafi and Gummi Local Government Areas of Zamfara had surfaced online on Tuesday.
Sheikh Gumi had visited different bandits’ camps in Zamfara to spread the message of Islam and peace in order to rid the country of kidnappings and banditry.
When asked on the programme by host Yori Folarin whether the visits by the cleric was under some special covers, Mohammed said, “When you want to resolve an issue like this, you use lots of back channels.
“Again, it is not unusual for a respected cleric to have the confidence of (approaching) outlaws or bandits. As a matter of fact, they are probably ready to listen to him more than they are ready to listen to the government. They are probably ready to believe him more.
“So, it is not unusual for him to act as a bridge between government and the outlaws in an attempt to find solution.
“What I am sure is that he must be working for peace.”
