The Art of Validating Criminality And Making It Attractive

Criminal activities of armed bandits operating in the northern part of Nigeria have now spread to other regions in the country. They commit atrocities that range from kidnapping and demanding a huge ransom, to killing victims when their demands are not met. Criminality is the order of the day.

Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has been in the news recently. Ironically, Gumi is not comfortable with the bandits being called criminals.

Ahmad Gumi: A voice for the bandits

Speaking on Arise TV on Thursday, February 25, Ahmad Gumi insists that the media is among the reasons the bandits have not ceased from their atrocities.

He says the media have been consistent in referring to the bandits as criminals. And that such reference only serves to discourage them from giving up their ammunition.

Negotiating with bandits and paying them ransom will only encourage others to spring up….. I keep on saying this, but the govt employed Gumi a minister of bandit affairs

Assuming we are in a sane country, that gumi would have been arrested but this is Nigeria💔😫

— 𝐌𝕆𝐇𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐄🔰 (@Mohnice_) February 26, 2021

Gumi said;

‘’You are emphasizing on criminality. Even the press are criminals too because they are putting oil into fire. These people are listening to you. You should not address them as criminals if you want them to succumb.

You see, when we talk with them with nice words, they are ready to listen to us, put down their weapons. But when the language is about criminality, killing them, then this is what we will keep having.’’

1. Peace is expensive, but you don’t negotiate with Shekau nor bandits. America understands this. Does Nigeria?

Each time you open negotiations with criminals, you invite trouble, I mean big trouble. Sheikh Gumi is playing with fire. Any nation that buys peace is indebted to war pic.twitter.com/ykHwIciOb4

— NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) February 26, 2021

Previously, Gumi had spoken on behalf of the bandits. He insisted that they have only killed a few people and most times it is mistakenly. Besides, the killing is not because of criminality; it is as a result of ethnic revenge.

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On ways to reduce the attacks by the bandits, Gumi concluded that the bandits should be admonished and shown the fear of God. However, President Muhammadu Buhari stated that the bandits would be treated as criminals.

The role of security operatives

Criminality is defined as behaviour that is contrary to or forbidden by criminal law. And there is no wrong in calling an act what it is.

Kidnapping of innocent victims and demanding a ransom is an act of criminality that should be eschewed.

The perfect role Sheikh Gumi should have played in this fight against insurgency is to provide intelligence for security operatives to discover bandit and kidnapper hideouts.

That would have been the most honouring thing to do as a Cleric, not to soft-land their atrocities.

— Ayemojubar (@ayemojubar) February 26, 2021

However, the continued success of their operations is giving these bandits the confidence to advance their operations.

Therefore it is important that security operatives step up their game in tracking these bandits and bringing them to book. While some leaders have suggested negotiation tactics, it remains necessary that criminals are treated within the scope of law and the Constitution.

This will serve as a deterrent to others who may want to embrace criminality as a platform to seek relevance.