The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has issued a stern warning to cleric Sheikh Ahmed Gumi and other individuals he described as sympathisers of terrorists and bandits, cautioning them against offering overt or covert support to criminal groups threatening national security.
Speaking during an official visit to Maiduguri on Wednesday, the Defence Minister said terrorism and banditry should never be framed as expressions of regional, ethnic, or religious brotherhood.
“A friend of a thief is a thief,” Musa said, stressing that Nigerians must desist from justifying or excusing criminality in any form.
He explained that his remarks were deliberate and directly addressed narratives previously advanced by Gumi, who had described bandits operating in forests as “our brothers” and suggested that society could not function without them.
Drawing a line between compassion and complicity, Musa said empathy must not translate into legitimising violence. According to him, such narratives embolden criminal networks that have devastated communities, displaced families, and claimed countless innocent lives across the country.
The Defence Minister warned that terrorism thrives not only on weapons but also on moral and rhetorical cover, adding that those who defend, excuse, or shield criminals—through words, influence, or silence—share responsibility for the consequences.
Musa concluded that Nigeria cannot defeat terrorism and banditry while narratives blur the distinction between victims and perpetrators, insisting that neutrality is not an option in matters of national security.
“The choice is clear,” he said. “Stand with the law and the nation, or be counted among those enabling criminality.”
Linus Aleke, Abuja
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