Prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi says he is prepared to champion the call for a presidential pardon and amnesty for detained IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu—but only if Kanu publicly shows remorse and embraces peace.
Gumi made the comment on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television, where he restated his belief that dialogue, rather than force, offers Nigeria the best path out of its deepening security crisis.
According to him, his position is not an endorsement of criminals but a realistic assessment of Nigeria’s security challenges. He explained that kidnappings and armed attacks have now spread into nearly every part of the country, pointing to recent incidents in Kwara and other states as proof of how widespread the problem has become.
- VIDEO: Woman Claiming to Be Chris Okafor’s Former Wife Makes Explosive Allegations
- I will not be vice-president to anybody ~ Peter Obi
- Israel recognises Somaliland as sovereign state
- 70-year-old Indian woman gives birth to her first child
- Ghanaian Prophet, Eboh Noah, Builds 8 Arks, Reveals God Has Warned Him That The World Will End On Christmas Day ~ Not By Fire, But By Another Global Flood.
- VIDEO: Pregnant wife bursts into tears as husband refuses to go beg neighbour Jollof rice
Gumi criticised the federal government’s heavy focus on military action, warning that no army (Nigeria’s included) is built to completely eliminate guerrilla fighters. He added that several armed groups have shown readiness to surrender, but the government’s hard stance is delaying peace efforts.
Drawing from history, he cited former President Shehu Shagari’s pardon of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu after the civil war and President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s amnesty for Niger Delta militants as examples of reconciliation that helped stabilise the country.
“Nnamdi Kanu was imprisoned for terrorism and inciting attacks,” Gumi said. “If he genuinely shows remorse and calls for peace, I will personally lead the push for his pardon.”
He maintained that reconciliation (not brute force) is the only sustainable way to restore peace in Nigeria.
