I’ll Champion Amnesty for Nnamdi Kanu If He Shows Remorse –Gumi

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Uncategorized Wednesday, November 26th, 2025

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi says he is willing to lead a public campaign for amnesty for Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), if Kanu openly renounces violence.

Kanu is currently serving a life sentence after being convicted of terrorism by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Speaking on Channels Television on Tuesday, Gumi reiterated his long-held position that negotiation, not military force, offers Nigeria the most sustainable path to resolving insecurity. He argued that the Nigerian military is not structured to tackle guerrilla warfare and insisted that a solely “kinetic” approach cannot end the nation’s security crises.

“Our army is not designed for a guerrilla war; no army is designed for that,” he said. “If people are ready to put down their arms, why insist on only kinetic solutions?”

Using Kanu as an example, he added: “If this same Kanu now shows remorse and also calls for peace, honestly, I will be at the forefront in calling for his pardon and amnesty.”

Gumi said previous negotiations with bandits in Kaduna State had produced results, noting that the persistent crisis in Zamfara was due to the government’s failure to reach agreements with armed groups there.

He also referenced historical precedents: former President Shehu Shagari’s amnesty for Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s amnesty programme for Niger Delta militants.

According to him, foreign intervention, including from the United States, will not solve Nigeria’s insecurity. He urged Nigerians to support homegrown solutions and avoid inflaming ethnic or religious tensions.

“Look at the Abuja–Kaduna Road. Now everybody can ply it. Things are improving. I’m not saying it’s 100%, but it’s no longer the norm for incidents to occur,” he said. “Give the government time and a chance. Being pressured from outside is what we object to.”