“K!dnapping Children is Lesser Ev!l, Dialogue Necessary to Save Lives” – Sheikh Gumi Insists

Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has stated that the kidnapping of school children is a “lesser evil” compared to the killing of security personnel, arguing that Nigeria must negotiate with bandits to prevent greater violence.

Speaking in a BBC interview shared on Tuesday, December 9, Gumi elaborated on his stance: “Saying that kidnapping children is a lesser evil than killing your soldiers, definitely is lesser. Killing is worse… but they are all evil. It’s just a lesser evil. Not all evils are of the same power.”

He referenced past incidents, including a mass abduction in Kebbi State, as evidence that dialogue can save lives without fatalities. “So it’s a lesser evil than, like, what happened in Kebbi. They abducted children, and they were released. They didn’t kill them,” he said.