- ‘Focus The Attackers First, Not The Victims’ – Gumi .
- He says security agencies should stop further harm before treating casualties.
- The cleric insists political issues hinder adopting approaches that could work.
Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, says Nigeria’s security agencies must prioritise confronting violent perpetrators directly if the country hopes to end the current wave of killings and kidnappings.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Gumi made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, where he argued that lasting security reforms must begin with disarming and neutralising attackers before shifting attention to victims.
He explained that his approach is similar to a medical emergency, where the priority is preventing further harm before treating those already injured. According to him, anything short of addressing the root cause will prolong the crisis.
He said, “When you have an emergency, you can only be concerned about stopping the bleeding, not even the fracture, maintaining the cardiovascular potency.”
The cleric further used a market scene analogy to reinforce his point, adding, “I am so much concerned about those who are injuring people. Imagine a mad man in the market in the night who has stabbed so many people my approach is to get that knife from the man, not the people who are injured.”
Pushing back against criticism that he prioritises armed groups over victims, Gumi insisted that victims are not abandoned and that government agencies already exist to attend to them.“Some people say we have neglected the victims. We have not neglected the victims. The victims have an emergency agency that can take care of them, we have state governors, we have everything to take care of them.”
Gumi argued that he is not positioned to directly assist victims but is focused on stopping the violence itself.
He stated, “I am not an authority and I cannot take care of everybody. My concern is that blood should stop flowing.”
The cleric added that his stance is shaped by years of direct interaction with bandits, insisting that even security authorities understand that his approach could yield results but political differences have prevented adoption.
He added, “I have seen this firsthand. This is what will work and government and people have understood that but I think for political reason, they cannot come together and implement it. If you want to cure a disease, you have to go back and see the psychologist what caused the disease.”
