PANDEF has criticised renowned Islamic scholar,Abubakar Gumi, for referring to killer herdsmen and bandits as militants

THE Pan Niger Delta Forum has criticised renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, for referring to killer herdsmen and bandits as militants fighting for ethnic survival, describing the cleric’s position as annoying.

PANDEF expressed surprise that Gumi had the effrontery to say that killer herdsmen and murderous bandits should not be referred to as criminals.

The National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Mr. Ken Robinson, in a statement on Tuesday, said, “It is unfortunate that the nation should be hearing one absurd statement or the other from this man every day.

“It is high time that the media stopped giving him attention. He is nothing other than an eccentric bigot dressed in cleric’s toga. It is vexing that he would have the effrontery to say killer herdsmen and the murderous bandits should not be referred to as criminals but militants fighting an ethnic war and fighting for their existence.

“What nonsense? In a hitherto illustrious country reduced to almost a Lilliputian Republic by a Fulani president. Recall that this same Gumi said the Federal Government is aware of the locations of these bandits terrorising citizens, and even went on to blatantly demand amnesty for the bandits.