Controversial Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, has claimed that the Nigerian government is fully aware of the identities and whereabouts of terrorists operating across the country.
Gumi asserted during a television interview with DRtv while responding to criticism over his past visits and engagements with armed groups in different parts of northern Nigeria. According to him, his meetings with the groups were not carried out secretly, stressing that security agencies were aware of his movements whenever he attempted to reach them.
The cleric said his trips to areas controlled by armed groups were often coordinated with security personnel and local authorities, including traditional rulers. He explained that he never travelled to such locations alone and usually informed the police and other security agencies before making contact with the groups.
“The government knows every terrorist by name and location,” Gumi said during the interview.
“I do not go to the terrorists alone. I call the Police, the security, everybody. I will go to the Emirs of that place,” he added.
He further explained that some of the visits involved community members, including women, who accompanied him to the locations where the meetings were held.
“In fact, when we were going to meet one terrorist group, I went with the women to the place. You didn’t see it because the camera was not concentrating there, but I do not go alone,” he said.
Gumi has for years been a strong advocate for dialogue and negotiations with bandits and other armed groups operating mainly in the north-western region of Nigeria, arguing that engagement could help reduce violence and encourage fighters to abandon criminal activities.
In December 2025, the cleric also made controversial claims that foreign actors may be supporting terrorist groups operating in Nigeria. He suggested that the increasing sophistication of attacks and the weapons used by some groups indicated the involvement of powerful individuals or organisations outside the country.
Speaking during an earlier interview with BBC Hausa, Gumi said the sudden rise in attacks across several northern communities after a period of relative calm raised questions about possible external influence.
According to him, the level of coordination and the timing of the attacks suggested that some international forces might be attempting to destabilise Nigeria.
He pointed to the Abuja–Kaduna highway, which had previously been notorious for kidnappings and attacks by armed groups. Gumi said the route had become significantly safer in recent months before the recent resurgence of violence.
He also noted that in communities such as Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State—an area long affected by banditry—many residents had begun returning to their farms before attacks resumed again.
The cleric argued that the pattern of violence often coincides with international criticism of Nigeria, suggesting that such incidents may be used to reinforce negative narratives about the country.
“There was a statement made by some foreign nations, and for long we have suspected that these terrorists and extremists receive foreign support based on the nature of their weapons,” he said.
“These are powerful and wealthy foreign individuals who have the means to penetrate and interfere with the affairs of other nations,” Gumi added.
He also maintained that discussions about insecurity in Nigeria often ignore the underlying causes that push some communities toward violence.
“Everyone knows them, but what people do not talk about is what caused people we once lived peacefully with to turn against society and become a menace,” he said.
According to Gumi, some of the individuals involved in banditry were acting out of ignorance or misinformation, and he believes engagement and religious counselling could help reform them.
He claimed that previous attempts to reach out to armed groups with messages discouraging kidnapping and theft did not receive enough support from government authorities.
“When we tried to reach them and tell them it is forbidden to steal and forbidden to kidnap, the government did not support us. If that support had been given, this issue might have been resolved,” he said.
Responding to critics who accuse him of defending criminals, the cleric insisted that his actions were based on religious duty and efforts to promote peace.
“Our religion does not support oppression. Everything we are doing is for the sake of Allah,” he said.
