The Campaign for Democracy (CD), om Sunday, called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately order the arrest and prosecution of Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, over allegations of terrorism support, banditry sympathy and incitement capable of undermining national security.
In a statement released in Abuja, the foremost human rights organisation accused the federal government of dangerous inaction in the face of what it described as “inflammatory rhetoric” by Gumi.
It warned that continued silence could embolden violent actors and worsen Nigeria’s insecurity crisis.
CD National President, Pastor Ifeanyi Odili, said Gumi’s public statements over time had allegedly fuelled violence, deepened social divisions and contributed to the loss of innocent lives across the country.
According to him, the cleric’s comments posed a clear and present danger to peace and stability.
“Gumi’s rhetoric is a ticking time bomb. It is no longer a matter of opinion or free speech when words actively incite violence or appear to legitimise terror.
“The government has a constitutional duty to protect Nigerians, and that duty must override political considerations,” Odili said.
The group went further to accuse the Tinubu administration of what it termed appeasement and complicity, arguing that failure to act decisively sends a wrong signal to terrorists and criminal gangs operating in different parts of the country.
“The government’s inaction is emboldening terrorists and bandits, perpetuating bloodshed and mayhem. When leaders look the other way, criminals feel protected.
“It creates the impression that politics and power calculations are being placed above human lives.
“In a sharply worded warning, CD said it would mobilise Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to demand accountability if the federal government fails to act,” he said.
Sunday Aborisade
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