Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has praised former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his comment on banditry in Nigeria, which he shared in a recent interview.

Obasanjo claimed that during his tenure as President, Sheikh Gumi paid a visit to the bandits in the Sambisa Forest and provided him with firsthand information.

According to him, Gumi stated that any security force claiming to have visited the forest is only lying because of how the bandits have solidified their hold of the place.

Obasanjo said, “When Sheikh Gumi when to meet those boys in the forest, i invited him to come and see me. The first thing he said is that where those boys are they’ve fortified themself, and even if any security personnel claimed they had gone into the area, they were lying to you. He said what made him weep was [seeing] boys of 13, 14, 15 years, soaked in drugs and carrying gun.”

The former President described the condition of these children as wrecked, stating that the situation remains a significant source of worry for the nation.

“They are wrecked and that worried us. 20 million children that should be in school but are not in school. Those that have no employment, no job and they see in you in abstain affluence, what do you expect them to do?”, he said.

Reacting, Gumi shared the video of the interview showing Obasanjo speaking, and captioned with a prayer for long life for the former President.

He said, "Fmr. President Obasanjo has Nigeria at heart. 'Igbesi aye ti o gun, sir'."

ASA