Defence Minister Warns Gumi, Others Against Supporting Bandits, Says ‘A Friend of a Thief Is a Thief’

Defence Minister has warned Gumi among others against supporting bandits, stating that a friend of a thief is a thief.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has issued a strong warning to Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmed Gumi and other individuals he described as sympathisers of terrorists and bandits, cautioning them against giving any form of support to criminal groups threatening Nigeria’s security.

 

Speaking during an official visit to Maiduguri on Wednesday, January 14, Musa said terrorism and banditry must never be justified under the guise of regional, ethnic or religious solidarity.

 

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“A friend of a thief is a thief,” the Defence Minister declared, stressing that his remarks were directed at narratives previously promoted by Gumi, who had referred to bandits in forest enclaves as “our brothers” and suggested that society could not function without them.

 

Musa drew a clear line between compassion and complicity, saying that while concern for human life is important, it must not be used to legitimise violence and criminality. He warned that such rhetoric gives encouragement to armed groups that have destroyed communities, displaced thousands of people and taken countless innocent lives.

 

According to the Defence Minister, terrorism is sustained not only by weapons but also by the moral and rhetorical backing provided by those who excuse or defend criminals.

 

He added that Nigeria cannot defeat banditry and terrorism if narratives continue to blur the line between victims and perpetrators.

 

“The choice is clear. Stand with the law and the nation, or be counted among those enabling criminality,” Musa said.