Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has supported claims made by controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, that Nigerian authorities are aware of the identities and whereabouts of terrorists operating in the country.
Gumi had earlier made the assertion during an interview on DRTV while responding to accusations that he maintains close contact with bandits and insurgents and often speaks on their behalf.
Reacting to the controversy in Abuja on Wednesday, Sowore described the cleric as an intelligent individual whose comments should not be dismissed lightly.
According to him, Gumi’s statement reflects a reality many Nigerians already suspect — that individuals involved in terrorism and kidnapping are not entirely unknown to government authorities.
Sowore alleged that several criminals operating across the country maintain connections with people in positions of power, suggesting that this explains how negotiations often occur during mass abductions.
Gumi Is Not Foolish
“Sheikh Gumi is not the foolish man people portray him to be. He is a very smart person, even though people may disagree with his views or religious approach,” Sowore said.
He further argued that the government’s ability to quickly establish contact with kidnappers during hostage situations suggests that security agencies already have information about them.
“When there is a large-scale kidnapping, you see the government reaching out to the abductors. That can only happen if they already have ways of contacting them, including their phone numbers,” he added.
Sowore also claimed that many notorious criminals are well known within security circles, insisting that authorities possess sufficient intelligence to track and apprehend them if there was a genuine commitment to end terrorism.
According to him, security agencies are aware of the networks and locations of major criminal groups across different states.
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He concluded by stating that if the government truly intends to eliminate terrorism and kidnapping in the country, it already has the information needed to take decisive action.