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Again, Sheik Gumi insists on amnesty for bandits
•Says no official pardon, no end to banditry •ACF, Afenifere, M’Belt Forum, Ohanaeze, Fani Kayode kick
By Sunday Ani and Seye Ojo, Ibadan
Nigerians, particularly ethnic nationality groups, have tackled controversial Islamic cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, over his clamour for amnesty to bandits.
Sheik Gumi, yesterday, said bandits troubling the northern part of Nigeria “are going nowhere” restating the need for government to halt military actions and grant them amnesty.
The cleric, in a post on his known Facebook titled “Zamfara: The flaring of crisis” said military action against criminal herdsmen and bandits would not solve the security challenge but “will only worsen the situation.”
The controversial Islamic preacher was reacting to the recent perceived military success over bandits at Zamfara forests.
“Now with the prodding of the government to take more military actions of an already ugly situation whereby they were left to amass weapons, a huge military budget that is almost draining the economy to a standstill in the purchase of fighter aircrafts and conducting military operations in the region has become to the authorities in their calculations a necessity.
“Unfortunately, this is no solution or wisdom. When you don’t have the monopoly of the instruments of violence, then dialogue has the monopoly of resolving the conflict. This is what the UN is all about. i.e., Roundtable resolution of conflicts. What we are seeing is more than just criminals and criminality, yes it may have started as such but like any conflict, it is dynamic.
“The danger we face now is ideological demagogues changing the narrative. They are trying hard to infiltrate the herdsmen. And we know their objectives. They want to destroy all modern governments by fighting the military and now in the recent cajoling of local populations, they have tormented before to join them in the struggle.
“Let us face the reality, these herdsmen are going nowhere, and they are already in battle gear, and we know our Military very well, so before things get messy, we need cold brains to handle this delicate situation. Its common sense that if you allow your neighbors to be your enemy you are already conquered. Because they can easily be used against you by other forces as we see now the herdsmen are ultimately used to destabilize the region, pauperize and even depopulate it.
“Military actions in the past have worsen the situation stimulating herdsmen resistance. Any more action will push them closer to religious fanaticism. It gives them protection from discrediting them as thieves and also reinforce their mobilisation of gullible young unemployed youth as we saw with BH.
“I have met many of the bandit leaders to see a way out of this gridlock. I have talked to the political class and security agents. Except for an exception, most state governors want a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The Police and other security outfits have also realized the enormity of the problem. But, unfortunately, the presidency for what appears to be political gullibility and the military for budgetary reasons as they are the most beneficiary of conflicts of this nature doesn’t seem to be on the same page.
“This conflict can be resolved by active engagement of the government with the agitators. Just as we saw how EndSAR agitation was swiftly managed after an initial scandalous failed military confrontation, was peacefully resolved by the government, likewise, the herdsmen crisis can be.
“Just as we had the Niger Delta conflict resolved with an amnesty which comes with reconciliation, reparation, and rehabilitation packages, so will the herdsmen crisis be resolved. In fact, there is a need for a Marshal plan to educate the nomadic pastoralist so that no citizen is left behind.”
“These measures I enumerated are cheaper, easier, and lasting than the kinetic approach which is now taking place. No military especially of a poor economy can win guerrilla warfare. The recent victory of the Taliban in Afghanistan is a factual warning for those that contemplate.”
However, National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alex Ogbonnia, disagreed with Gumi saying there was no basis to grant amnesty to faceless criminals like bandits.
“Boko Haram is an organised ideological movement but bandits are not organised. They are pure criminals. It is only when you have them organised that you can even talk about amnesty. When you talk about an amorphous group, you can’t be talking about amnesty.”
He maintained that anybody talking about amnesty for bandits is only trying to create entirely a new terrorist group. By the time Gumi’s idea prevails, he would have created a new ideological body in banditry, so his suggestion is very dangerous. He is now instigating them to form themselves into an ideological group that can now begin to bargain with the political system. It is unfortunate that Gumi is trying to create that kind of movement again when we already have enough terrorist organisations at hand,” he said.
Similarly, president of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, said nobody that carried arms against the state should be granted amnesty.
“I wouldn’t know what informed Gumi’s argument, but for me, I have always been against amnesty of any kind. Even before Yar’Adua offered amnesty to the Niger Delta boys, I am one of those voices in the north that opposed it on the ground that you don’t do that because when you do, every idiot will take up arms and begin to demand for amnesty.
“All of us could have at the end of the day taken up arms and gone into the forest to unleash terror on innocent Nigerians but we decided to be law abiding. So, there is no excuse for banditry. They should be dealt with according to the law otherwise; even the armed robbers in prisons should also be granted amnesty. Only Gumi knows why he is saying what is saying but for me, anybody who has taken up arms against the state should be punished according to the law.”
Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, said the Federal Government has not been decisive in tackling banditry, kidnapping and insecurity in the country.
He regretted that Gumi was advocating clemency and amnesty for criminals when the security situation in the country was getting worse. Ajayi said the apex socio-cultural organisation was not in support of Gumi’s call for amnesty for bandits and urged the Federal Government not to listen to him.
President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Pogu Bitrus, believes that the whole idea about banditry is a big conspiracy.
“The military is not willing to deal with bandits. When you know the location of the bandits and you can’t bomb them out of the place but want to negotiate and grant amnesty to them; it is the conspirators within the system that are doing this.”
He claimed that some people were protecting bandits so that they could achieve what they want to achieve.
“It is simply a conspiracy and stopping the military from doing their job. Since the acquisition of the Tucano Jet fighters, what have the military done with that? The issue is that there is no political will to solve the problem. There are people protecting the bandits and stopping the military from doing their job,” he submitted.
Reacting, former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, told Sheik Gumi not to compare Niger Delta militants to bandits as the latter does not rape or abduct children from schools.
On his Twitter page, he wrote: “ For Gumi to say that the killer bandits & terrorists are not going anywhere unless and until they are given amnesty like the Niger Delta militants is asinine and unacceptable. The Niger Delta militants did not target, rape, kill women and they did not abduct children from their schools.”
- Those behind Nigeria’s woes’ll incur God’s anger –Bishop Oke
The Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Ibadan, Oyo State, Bishop Wale Oke, has warned those working against the progress and stability of Nigeria to desist from their nefarious activities in order to avoid the wrath of God.
He gave the warning at the grand finale of the 39th Annual Holy Ghost Convention of the ministry held at the PCU Campus, Garden of Victory, Ibadan.
Oke, who is also the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigerian (PFN), noted: “There are wicked people in this country, who God will deal with unless they repent. Their activities have led to the sufferings of many Nigerians and have put the nation in needless jeopardy.”
He, however, encouraged Nigerians not to entertain fear about the corporate existence of the country, saying the nation would survive in spite of the socio-economic and political challenges, besetting its progress.
“Nigeria will survive. Nigeria will prevail. There are people, who are troubling Nigeria and unless they repent, God will deal with them,” Oke stated.
The convention featured, among other things, ordination of pastors, deacons and deaconesses, elders and ministers, numbering about 200.
Source: https://www.sunnewsonline.com
News
Tinubu Has No Plan to Change Nigeria’s Name or Abolish Sharia Law – Presidency
Tinubu Has No Plan to Change Nigeria’s Name or Abolish Sharia Law – Presidency
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reacted to a report making rounds in some quarters on the alleged plan by his government to change the name of Nigeria and abolish Sharia law in the northern part of the country. The President, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday night, May 21, 2026, described the report as far from the truth. The statement from the Presidency reads: “The Presidency wishes to inform Nigerians and state clearly that there is no truth whatsoever to the viral fake story claiming that President Bola Tinubu seeks to carry out constitutional amendments that will change Nigeria’s name to the ‘United States of Nigeria’ and abolish Sharia Law in the Northern region, among other claims.” According to the Presidency, the report—which cited anonymous sources—is part of a “dubious plot by some desperate politicians to create disaffection in our country, stir up a political crisis, and heat the polity ahead of the general elections.” The statement urged Nigerians to ignore the viral story in its entirety, describing the purveyors of the fake news as “agents of destabilisation and merchants of disorder.”
The statement also clarified that President Tinubu has “no plan whatsoever to send any bill code-named ‘Project True Federation’ to the National Assembly by December 15, a few weeks before the general election.” The Presidency emphasized that under Nigerian law, constitutional changes and amendments are serious matters that require legislative scrutiny, oversight, and extensive debate. “The process of amending the constitution is not at the President’s or the National Assembly’s whim. It is a task that requires a 2/3 majority in both chambers of the National Assembly and the concurrence of 24 State Houses of Assembly.” This constitutional safeguard ensures that no single individual or branch of government can unilaterally alter the nation’s founding document, a fact that makes the alleged “Project True Federation” bill not only improbable but legally impossible to execute within the claimed timeline. The rigorous amendment process, which involves extensive public hearings, legislative debates, and state-level ratification, is deliberately designed to protect Nigeria’s federal structure from arbitrary changes by those in power.
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The Presidency further stressed that President Tinubu is focused on the arduous task of entrenching and deepening the economic reforms his administration has embarked upon, with the aim of delivering more tangible dividends to Nigerians. Since assuming office, Tinubu’s administration has pursued a series of landmark economic policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of exchange rates, aimed at stabilizing the economy and attracting foreign investment. The statement cautioned citizens against consuming fake and divisive reports, warning that misinformation is likely to proliferate as the nation begins political campaigns, a prelude to the general elections scheduled for January 2027. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the 2027 general elections have been scheduled to hold on Saturday, 16th January 2027 for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will hold on Saturday, 6th February 2027. Political campaigns are expected to commence in August 2026, which the Presidency noted as a period when fake news could proliferate as desperate politicians seek to gain an advantage through misinformation and fear-mongering.
The viral report had sparked widespread concern across the country, particularly in the Northern region where Sharia law operates alongside the secular legal system in several states including Zamfara, Kano, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Kaduna. The false claims raised alarms among religious and traditional leaders, who feared the potential social and legal implications of abolishing a system that has been in operation for over two decades in some Northern states. However, the Presidency’s swift and categorical denial appears aimed at dousing any potential tensions arising from the false claims. Meanwhile, the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has also weighed in on the broader political landscape, declaring that the only factor holding the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is political power, though this comment was made in a separate context at the launch of the Rise Up Naija Movement (RUN) in Abuja. Nigerians are advised to rely on official communications from the Presidency and verified news sources for accurate information, especially as the country heads toward the 2027 general elections. The Presidency reiterated its commitment to transparency and called on citizens to verify any sensational claims through official channels before sharing, warning that spreading unverified information could lead to unnecessary panic and social unrest.
Tinubu Has No Plan to Change Nigeria’s Name or Abolish Sharia Law – Presidency
News
BREAKING: Tinubu appoints Prof Segun Aina as new JAMB registrar
BREAKING: Tinubu appoints Prof Segun Aina as new JAMB registrar
ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of 39-year-old Professor Segun Aina as the new Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), signaling the end of Professor Is-haq Oloyede’s decade-long tenure.
The appointment, announced in a statement issued late Wednesday by the Director of Information at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, confirmed that Professor Oloyede’s tenure will officially expire on July 31, 2026. Professor Aina, a Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, is set to make history as the youngest Registrar ever to lead the nation’s premier examination and matriculation body. He holds a Doctorate in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University, United Kingdom.
President Tinubu, in the appointment letter, tasked the new Registrar with leveraging his extensive background in engineering and information technology to build upon the transformative reforms introduced by his predecessor. Under Professor Oloyede’s watch, JAMB became globally recognized for its deployment of the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) and biometric verification, drastically reducing admission fraud and the incidence of fake results. Observers believe Prof. Aina’s core competence in computer engineering signals the government’s intention to further digitize the admission process, enhance cybersecurity, and introduce next-generation innovations.
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Furthermore, Professor Aina is not a stranger to high-stakes examinations. He brings a wealth of practical experience from previous roles with the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB). Interestingly, the new JAMB boss began his career with the very organization he is now set to lead—serving as a corps member during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year.
As Professor Is-haq Oloyede prepares to leave office after two terms of five years each, he is widely celebrated for clearing the backlog of unclaimed admission spaces, blocking financial leakages that saw JAMB’s remittances to the federal purse rise from N3 million to over N50 billion, and sanitizing the system of fake ‘cut-off’ marks. Stakeholders in the education sector have described the transition as “a changing of the guard from consolidation to innovation.” Professor Aina is expected to assume office immediately following the formal handover on August 1, 2026.
BREAKING: Tinubu appoints Prof Segun Aina as new JAMB registrar
News
Hajj 2026: Arafat Sermon to be Translated into Yoruba, Hausa, 33 Other Languages
Hajj 2026: Arafat Sermon to be Translated into Yoruba, Hausa, 33 Other Languages
MAKKAH — As pilgrims continue to arrive in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2026 Hajj exercise scheduled to commence on Monday, the Head of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Professor Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais, has announced that this year’s Arafat Day sermon will be translated into 35 international languages, including Hausa and Yoruba, to enable non-Arabic speaking Muslims to benefit from the sermon’s spiritual and humanitarian messages.
According to Al-Sudais, the Presidency of Religious Affairs would not only translate the sermon to be delivered by Sheikh Dr. Ali bin Abdulrahman Al-Hudhaifi, an Imam and preacher in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, into the 35 languages, but also broadcast it via digital platforms and channels affiliated with the Presidency. This initiative, he said, is aimed at conveying the message of Islam and the content of the sermon to Muslims across the world, adding that the translation is an extension of efforts being made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to serve Islam and Muslims. Al-Sudais described the Arafat sermon translation project as “one of the qualitative initiatives in which the Presidency has accumulated experiences over many years,” contributing to enriching religious content in various international languages. The translation of the Arafat sermon is designed to enable non-Arabic-speaking Muslims to benefit from the contents of the sermon and the comprehensive faith and humanitarian messages it carries. Al-Sudais noted that the Presidency has harnessed its technical and media capabilities, along with specialized teams, to ensure the sermon reaches the widest possible global audience with high professionalism and advanced quality standards. He emphasized that the translation project helps deliver the sermon’s themes to Muslims worldwide and convey Islam’s message of moderation. “The initiative enables non-Arabic-speaking Muslims to benefit from the sermon’s spiritual and humanitarian messages,” Al-Sudais stated.
Al-Sudais informed that the languages approved for translating the Arafat sermon include a diverse range of languages spoken across Africa, Asia, Europe, and other regions. The major global languages include English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Swedish. Asian languages include Indonesian, Urdu, Turkish, Persian, Bengali, Hindi, Malay, Pashto, Punjabi, Tamil, Filipino (Tagalog), Uzbek, Tajik, Nepali, Sinhala, and Malayalam. African languages include Hausa, Yoruba, Swahili, Amharic, Somali, Oromo, Tigrinya, and Ugandan. European languages include Bosnian and Lithuanian. According to Al-Sudais, the Presidency of Religious Affairs has accumulated experiences over the years in the translation project, noting that the initiative is meant to enrich religious content in various languages and enable non-Arabic-speaking Muslims to benefit from the contents of the Arafat sermon.
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Al-Sudais further informed that the Arafat Day sermon this year will be delivered by His Eminence Sheikh Dr. Ali bin Abdulrahman Al-Hudhaifi, an Imam and preacher in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The sermon is scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, corresponding to the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah 1447AH, from the pulpit of Masjid al-Namirah on Mount Arafat. Sheikh Ali Al-Hudhaifi is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished Quran reciters and influential religious personalities in the Muslim world. He has served not only as Imam of Masjid-e-Nabawi but has also previously led prayers at Quba Mosque and Masjid al-Haram. Al-Sudais described the sermon as “one of the greatest comprehensive faith messages followed by Muslims in the east and west of the earth,” noting that it enjoys wide attention because of the Sharia contents and comprehensive directives it contains that confirm the tolerance and mercy of Islam and its call for goodness, peace, and harmony among peoples.
This year’s five-day Hajj exercise will commence on Monday, when pilgrims will depart from Makkah for Mina, also known as Tent City, to begin their Hajj journey. Pilgrims will spend the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah (Day of Tarwiyah) in Mina, praying and preparing for the central rites ahead. On Tuesday, May 26, pilgrims will converge on Mount Arafat, also known as Jabbal Rahma (Mount of Mercy), and its valley. The Day of Arafat marks the zenith of the Hajj exercise. Following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), pilgrims will perform the Dhuhr and Asr prayers together at noon time in the Namira Mosque. As the sun sets on Arafat, pilgrims will proceed to Muzdalifah, where they will perform the combined Maghrib and Isha prayer and spend the night until dawn of the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah. After praying Fajr, they will proceed to Mina to begin the stoning of the Jamarat ritual. Pilgrims will spend the next three days engaging in, among other activities, stoning the Jamarat (the pillars representing Satan). The exercise will come to an end on May 29, when pilgrims are expected to return to Makkah, preparatory to their departure for their various countries.
For Nigerian pilgrims, the inclusion of Hausa and Yoruba among the 35 languages is particularly significant. Nigeria, with one of the largest Muslim populations in Africa, sends tens of thousands of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia annually. The ability to follow the Arafat sermon in their native languages will deepen their spiritual experience and understanding of the profound messages delivered on the most important day of the Hajj. According to Al-Sudais, the sermon will be broadcast live through digital platforms and channels affiliated with the Presidency of Religious Affairs. The Presidency has mobilized its technical and media capabilities to ensure the sermon reaches the largest possible segment around the world with high professionalism and advanced quality. As the 2026 Hajj season approaches, millions of pilgrims from around the world are expected to converge on the holy city of Makkah. The Presidency of Religious Affairs will continue to provide updates and guidance for pilgrims through its digital platforms and official channels. For the millions of Muslims who will not be able to make the journey this year, the translated and broadcast Arafat sermon will offer an opportunity to spiritually connect with the proceedings from their homes across the world.
Hajj 2026: Arafat Sermon to be Translated into Yoruba, Hausa, 33 Other Languages
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