Be careful with your words – Gumi tackles Bago over remarks to Fulanis

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has cautioned Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago over his recent remarks directed at the Fulani community, urging him to be more measured in his public statements.

Gumi, in a Facebook post on Saturday, said political leaders must exercise caution in their choice of words, particularly in a multi-religious society where inflammatory remarks could undermine peaceful coexistence.

“The current governor of Niger State, Alh. Mohammed Umar Bago needs to be careful with his word choice; verbosity in politics is detrimental to good governance, especially in a multi-religious setting,” Gumi wrote.

The cleric’s comment followed Governor Bago’s recent address to Fulani leaders, during which he urged them to prevail on their children involved in kidnapping and banditry to abandon criminal activities and return home.

The governor had warned that continued silence by community leaders over the activities of kidnappers and bandits was fuelling public distrust and resentment toward the Fulani community.

Bago also called on Fulani leaders to identify criminal elements within their communities and cooperate with security agencies to curb insecurity across the state.

In the same address, the governor directed traditional rulers to monitor religious preaching in their domains and ordered the arrest of anyone using sermons to incite division among Muslims or between Muslims and Christians.

He also cautioned vigilante groups against taking the law into their own hands and warned farmers against cultivating along government roads.