TheCable

Ahmad Gumi, Islamic cleric, says bandits have devised a means to evade air strikes by the Nigerian Air Force.

In an article entitled, ‘War has never been a solution anytime, anywhere’, Gumi said some bandits told him that air strikes could only kill their families and not them.

The cleric said bandits may migrate from areas the security agencies are engaging them to other places that are not “hot” for them.

“What you may not hear is that the bandits over the years have developed escape routes from aerial bombardments. They told us, ‘you can only kill our women and children with your attacks,” The Punch quoted him as saying in the article.

“Just yesterday, two contingents of banditry victims came to me that their loved ones were abducted by bandits in Kaduna suburbs – Rigachukun and Keke.

“An escapee engineer in the later said when he overheard and understood that they were strangers in the area as they were calling the locals to lead them, that gave him the courage to slip through densely grown maize plantations to escape.

“The point is that, if Zamfara is on fire for them, it goes without saying that they will migrate to other areas. So, is the whole of Nigeria going to be under lock-up incommunicado?”

The sheikh said the solutions to banditry are good intelligence gathering and policing.

“As for those cynics that have no value to add in the dilemma except vituperation, and abuses, we know that is the substance they are made up of. No qualms whatsoever! you don’t expect fragrance from faeces,” he said.

“So, what is the solution? Good Intelligence! Good proficient policing, engagement of the local herdsmen in policing, rehabilitation, reconciliation, and reparation of all victims of banditry.

“The good honest judiciary that protects people’s rights. Money and time well spent on these will surely kill the disease and heal the nation of this delinquency, crimes, and bad governance.”