Gumi floats advocacy group for herdsmen in Nigeria

The controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has founded an advocacy group to defend the rights of herdsmen in the country.

He announced the formation of the group, Nomadic Rights Concern (NORIC), during his Ramadan sermon at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna on Saturday.

He said NORIC would draw the public’s attention to the violation of the herders’ rights in Nigeria.

Gumi said: “We found it worthwhile to establish Nomadic Rights Concern (NORIC) to be headed by Prof. Umar Labbo. NORIC is supposed to be a channel whereby nomads will have their complaints and agitation addressed to the right authorities.

“Many have complaints about the loss of family members. Others have been in prisons for many years without offence and trial in a competent court of justice.

Read also: Sheikh Gumi tackles suspended Abuja Muslim cleric, Imam Khalid, says sermon worse than kidnapping

“The organisation was established to address these fallouts, hopefully, nomads will follow the civil ways in addressing their grievances away from violence, it’s said that violence is the language of the unheard.”

The cleric stressed nomads would take their problems to the NORIC to seek legal remedy.

He urged bandits in the North-West to embrace peace and lay down their arms.

The cleric also appealed to attackers of the Abuja- Kaduna train to free all the hostages and channel their grievances to the appropriate authorities.

Gumi had come under criticism from Nigerians in the past for asking the Federal Government to grant amnesty to the bandits.

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