Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo once travelled to Maiduguri, Borno State, where he held talks with representatives of Boko Haram and allegedly secured their willingness to lay down their arms.

Gumi made the claim while renewing his call for the Federal Government to explore dialogue and locally driven security solutions to Nigeria’s prolonged insurgency and insecurity.

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According to the Kaduna-based cleric, Obasanjo personally told him about the meeting during the early stages of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Look at Obasanjo; he told me this himself that, at the early stage of Boko Haram, he went to Maiduguri where he met with the leaders of Boko Haram and they agreed to lay down their arms.”

Gumi alleged that the initiative subsequently failed because the government did not act on commitments arising from the discussions.

“And he came back, but the government was reluctant to take action, and he was bitter about that; you can interview him.”

Gumi Calls for Dialogue With Armed Groups

The cleric questioned the argument that dialogue with Boko Haram should automatically be ruled out, noting that negotiations have been used in efforts to resolve conflicts involving armed groups in different parts of the world.

He maintained that Nigeria should be willing to explore approaches that could potentially reduce violence and encourage insurgents to surrender their weapons.

Gumi also argued that Nigeria should develop a security strategy based primarily on its own circumstances rather than allowing external expectations to determine how the country addresses the insurgency.

“Nigeria has to show the international community that this is our baby, this is how we want, and not depending on your ethics and standards.”

He added:

“The government should not listen to the international community because this is our problem and we have to solve it.”

Gumi Proposes Six-Month Amnesty Window

Gumi said that, if he were president, he would establish a six-month amnesty window for Boko Haram fighters willing to surrender their weapons.

“If I were to be president, I would just come around and give a six-month amnesty window for them to put down their weapons.”

He argued that the government should not allow itself to be pressured or “blackmailed” by external actors when designing its response to Nigeria’s security challenges.

Gumi’s comments come amid continued debate over whether military operations alone can end Nigeria’s insurgency, or whether dialogue, rehabilitation, amnesty and other non-military measures should form part of a broader security strategy.

Important: The claims about Obasanjo’s alleged meeting and the reported agreement with Boko Haram are Gumi’s account as presented in the supplied material and should not be treated as independently established facts without further verification.