Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has given a condition to lead the negotiation for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Gumi also defended his call for a non-kinetic approach towards tackling the growing insecurity mostly caused by terrorists and bandits operating in the Northern parts of the country.
Speaking on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, the cleric said he will only lead the call for Kanu’s release if the IPOB leader shows remorse.
Recall that last week, Kanu was convicted on a seven-count charge by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The judge while delivering the judgement slammed a life sentence and a 20-year jail term, which would run concurrently, on the IPOB leader over the terrorism charges levelled against him by the Nigerian Government.
He has since been moved from the facility of the Department of Security Services in Abuja to the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Sokoto state to serve his sentence.
However, reacting to the court’s judgement and the activities of the IPOB leader before his arrest and trial, Gumi accused Kanu of championing the killing of Nigerian soldiers.
“This Kanu that was imprisoned for terrorism for agitating that our soldiers should be killed, if this same Kanu now will show remorse and also call for peace, honestly, I will be in the forefront in calling for his pardon and amnesty for him.
Citing some of the Northern leaders who pardoned past agitators from the Southeast and the Niger Delta region, Gumi said that majority of the leaders from the North believe in Nigeria.
“Look, Shagari, our president, we are from the same town. Shagari gave amnesty to Ojukwu. Look at Umar Yar’Adua; he gave amnesty to the Niger Delta militants, who have also committed acts of terrorism. So, this is how we are.
“We have people who are ready to put down their arms, then why do you always decide it has to be kinetic?”
“Even America could not succeed in Afghanistan, even Israel could not succeed in a small strip of land. Our army is not designed for the gorilla; no army is designed for the kind of people we are showing now, no army is designed for it,” Gumi stated.
Further speaking on behalf of the Fulani herdsmen who have been consistently accused of perpetrating some of the deadly atrocities across the country, the cleric said the herdsmen have been calling for peace.
“If you have been following, the Fulani herdsmen have been calling for peace. When you call them for peace, they come with their guns for many reasons.
“Can you call IPOB for peace? Can you call Boko Haram? I think the former president has called for peace, and they came, but now it’s difficult to call for peace again. So, anybody who inclines to peace. I’m with him, I’m telling you.” he said.