Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi has thrown his weight behind the creation of the Nigerian Forest Security Service, describing it as a needed step if forests are to be freed from bandit camps. Speaking during Ramadan Tafsir in Kaduna on Tuesday, he argued that firm, coordinated force is necessary against criminal gangs, but warned against relying on airstrikes. The memory of Tudun Biri, he said, is still raw a botched military bombardment that killed more than 100 villagers in Igabi council, a tragedy reported as one of the worst accidents of its kind.
Gumi cautioned that dropping bombs in wooded areas risks more civilian deaths, especially with families living close to bandit hideouts. To him, bandits are no longer petty criminals; their brutality, which he links to outside influence, is pushing them closer to full-blown terrorism. That prospect, he noted, matches warnings he has raised before.
What he wants now is a service that can take the fight into forest enclaves without repeating mistakes that cost innocent lives. The battle, he stressed, has to be decisive—but precise.
