Hausa Activism Network’s Direct Message to IBB
In response, the Hausa Activism Network (HAN)

Nigeria’s ongoing banditry crisis in the North-West, particularly in states like Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina, has seen escalating kidnappings, killings, and calls for negotiation.

Meanwhile, Controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has long advocated for dialogue with bandits, portraying them as “victims” of systemic issues like cattle rustling and military overreach.

He has mediated releases and urged amnesty similar to that granted Niger Delta militants under past administrations.

Critics, however, accuse him of sympathizing with terrorists, with recent government admissions (via Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s aide) confirming DSS contacts with bandits for victim releases without arrests.

Amid this, former military president General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) recently issued a strong statement urging President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action against bandit enablers.

IBB’s Bold Call

On November 28, 2025, IBB, in an interview with Reliant News, advised Tinubu to “arrest and prosecute” individuals sympathizing with or aiding bandits, explicitly naming Sheikh Gumi as a prime example.

IBB argued that such sympathizers embolden criminals by providing ideological cover and logistical support, complicating military operations. He emphasized that no one, regardless of status or religion, should be above the law, drawing parallels to how Southern agitators like Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho faced arrests under previous regimes.

IBB called for a “zero-tolerance” policy to restore public trust and deter future atrocities, warning that inaction fuels perceptions of ethnic bias in security enforcement.

This statement went viral on X (formerly Twitter), sparking debates on tribal favoritism, with users like @SodiqTade and @von_Bismack resurfacing Gumi’s past defenses of bandits (e.g., “Bandits are shy” and “Stop killing bandits, they are victims too”).

Hausa Activism Network’s Direct Message to IBB
In response, the Hausa Activism Network (HAN)—a civil society group advocating for Hausa community rights, anti-corruption, and security reforms.

This issued a public rejoinder titled “REJOICE REJOINDER: To General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) On His Bold Call for Tinubu to Arrest Bandit Sympathizers—Including Sheikh Gumi”.

Key Points from HAN’s Message:

Endorsement of IBB’s Stance: HAN hails IBB as a “patriot” for breaking northern elite silence on the banditry menace, which has claimed thousands of Hausa lives.

They note that Gumi’s rhetoric has “prolonged suffering” by humanizing criminals who behead villagers and burn homes, citing personal testimonies like Isaiah Ijele’s (a survivor who lost six family members).

Criticism of Selective Justice: The group echoes IBB’s point on double standards, questioning why Gumi faces no scrutiny despite visiting bandit enclaves, while Southern figures are swiftly targeted, They demand forensic audits of Gumi’s finances and travel logs to probe potential ties.

Call to Action for Tinubu: HAN implores Tinubu to implement IBB’s advice immediately, including:
Declaring Gumi and similar figures (e.g., certain northern leaders pushing for bandit amnesty) as persons of interest.

Compensating victims (e.g., displaced families in Katsina) before any “repentant bandit” reintegration.

Forming a multi-ethnic panel to oversee prosecutions, ensuring no ethnic profiling.

Warning to Northern Elites: Addressing IBB directly, HAN says: “Your Excellency, your words have ignited hope in the hearts of millions of voiceless Hausas tired of burying our youth. But words must birth deeds—push the presidency to act, or history will judge us all as complicit.”

Broader Vision: The rejoinder frames this as a “rejoice moment” for Hausa activism, rejecting narratives that equate banditry with legitimate Fulani herder grievances.

They advocate non-kinetic approaches only after dismantling sympathizer networks, aligning partially with Gumi’s past suggestions but conditioning it on accountability.

This captures the raw tension: a former dictator’s rare rebuke, amplified by grassroots Hausa voices, challenging sacred cows in Nigeria’s security quagmire.

Read Full Message Below:-

FROM THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF HAUSA LAND

We, the Sons and Daughters of Hausa Land, issue this powerful rejoinder in solidarity with General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), whose recent statement calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be ruthless, uncompromising, and decisive against Fulani-led bandits and their sympathizers has shaken the entire nation.

For over a decade, the North has bled.
Our villages have burned.
Our children have been kidnapped.
Our women have been violated.
Our farms have become graveyards.
And many leaders kept silent.

But today, a former head of state
A man who understands war, security, command, strategy
Has told the truth without fear or favour.

1. WE STAND WITH IBB: “NO BANDITS, NO TERRORISTS, NO NEGOTIATORS, NO SYMPATHIZERS SHOULD BE SPARED”

IBB said clearly:

> “No bandits, no terrorists, no terrorists negotiators or terrorists sympathizers should be spared for disrupting the peace of Nigerians.”

This is the boldness the North has been waiting for.
This is the leadership our people were denied for years.
This is the truth our elites refused to speak.

IBB’s words expose the hypocrisy of those who:

Defended bandits

Negotiated for bandits

Carried money to forests

Blamed “foreign Fulani”

And misled the nation with propaganda

IBB has cut through all their lies.

2. IBB HAS OPENLY WARNED PRESIDENT TINUBU: DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH BANDITS

IBB stated:

> “If I were the President, I would NEVER negotiate with bandits and kidnappers.”
“Negotiating with criminals funds your enemies against your own citizens.”

He exposed:

The dangers of ransom payments

The foolishness of negotiation

The betrayal of paying terrorists

The weakness of using clerics as ‘middlemen’

This is a direct challenge to the culture of appeasement that allowed terrorism to grow.

3. IBB’s WORDS EXPOSE SHEIKH GUMI AND ALL OTHER BANDIT “NEGOTIATORS”

IBB said:

> “Those who sympathize with bandits or pose as bandits’ negotiators must face the law.”

This statement clearly aligns with what Nigerians have been demanding for years
that Sheikh Ahmad Gumi should be investigated and held accountable for:

Defending bandits

Blaming government instead of criminals

Going from forest to forest acting as their ambassador

Praising them on national TV

Undermining the Nigerian Army

Protecting the reputation of killers

Justifying kidnappers

Claiming they “deserve amnesty”

IBB’s message has confirmed what the victims always knew:

Negotiators are part of the system enabling terror.

4. IBB’s POSITION DESTROYS THE FALSE MYTH: “BANDITS ARE FOREIGNERS”

For years, certain Fulani elites argued that bandits are foreigners from:

Sudan

Mali

Senegal

Chad

Guinea

But IBB said:

> “Nigeria must take action against those enabling and protecting bandits within.”

This statement confirms:

The criminals are here.

Their sympathizers are here.

Their protectors are here.

Their negotiators are here.

And they are not foreigners.

Every top bandit commander is a Nigerian Fulani, well-known by name and village.

IBB is telling the truth the Sultan of Sokoto refused to tell.

5. IBB’s MESSAGE TO THE MILITARY IS WHAT OUR VICTIMS HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR

He said:

> “If I was the President…
We can go band for band…
We are NOT negotiating!”

This is the military doctrine that should have been used from 2010.

Because:

You do not negotiate with child kidnappers.

You do not negotiate with rapists.

You do not negotiate with arsonists.

You do not negotiate with mass murderers.

You do not negotiate with terrorists.

Negotiation only breeds more terror.

IBB has finally confirmed that truth.

6. IBB HAS GIVEN TINUBU THE POLITICAL COVER TO ACT DECISIVELY

For years, every president was afraid:

“What will northern elites say?”

“What will clerics say?”

“What will Fulani associations say?”

But now:

IBB has spoken for the oppressed, not the oppressors.

He has created a historic opportunity for Tinubu:

Arrest the sympathizers

Crush their networks

Shut down their supply chains

Neutralize their commanders

Investigate their clerical allies

Stop the culture of appeasement

A former president has given the green light.
Now the current president must act.

7. WE REJOICE BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME, A NORTHERN GENERAL IS SPEAKING THE TRUTH

IBB’s courage stands in contrast to:

Politicians who lied

Traditional rulers who defended criminals

Clerics who justified killers

Elites who blamed “foreigners”

Sympathizers who sabotaged security

Opinion leaders who misled the public

For once, the truth is no longer whispered
It is shouted from the top.

And for that, we rejoice.

CONCLUSION

We, the Sons and Daughters of Hausa Land, completely stand with IBB’s position.

His message is:

Clear

Fearless

Patriotic

Long overdue

Aligned with the will of the people

IBB has spoken for justice.
He has spoken for the victims.
He has spoken for the truth.

Now President Tinubu must act.

Arrest the bandits.
Arrest the negotiators.
Arrest the sympathizers.

Peace has no price.
Terror has no tribe.
Nigeria has bled enough.

SIGNED:
Sons and Daughters of Hausa Land
Via: Hausa Activism Network