According to a report by Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, November 30, 2025, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed details of a private discussion he held with Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi concerning insecurity in Nigeria’s forests and the fortification of bandit hideouts.
Obasanjo said the meeting took place following Gumi’s widely reported visits to forest encampments of armed bandits.
Obasanjo stated that he invited Sheikh Gumi to his residence after the cleric returned from his encounters with the bandits.
During the meeting, Gumi reportedly gave a firsthand account of the conditions in the forest, describing the security situation as far more complex than official statements suggested.
Obasanjo said the cleric highlighted that some claims of security personnel successfully penetrating bandit strongholds were not accurate.
According to Obasanjo, Sheikh Gumi told him that the bandits had heavily fortified their positions with defenses that made it extremely difficult for military or police units to access them.
He added that the cleric’s observations contradicted some government reports that indicated successful operations in these forest areas.
Obasanjo recalled that the cleric became emotional when describing the youth involved in the bandit operations.
Gumi reportedly said he was deeply affected by seeing boys between the ages of 13 and 15 being used as combatants, these children, Obasanjo stated, were exposed to drugs and trained to handle dangerous weapons, making them both victims and participants in the violence.
The former president emphasized that Gumi’s account underscored the human dimension of the crisis, the cleric reportedly expressed sorrow over the exploitation of young boys and the conditions under which they were forced to live.
Obasanjo noted that Gumi’s descriptions included vivid details of the forests, the camps, and the psychological state of the insurgents, which highlighted the severity of the insecurity problem.
Obasanjo said that the discussion also covered the challenges of planning effective security operations in areas with such fortified positions.
He added that Gumi stressed the need for careful intelligence and strategies to avoid further loss of life.
Obasanjo highlighted that the discussion was intended to provide clarity on the ground realities of insecurity and to offer perspective on the challenges faced by security agencies in dealing with entrenched armed groups in Nigeria’s forests.
He said, “When Sheikh Gumi went to meet those boys in the forest, i invited him to come and see me. The first thing he said is that where those boys are they’ve fortified themselves, and even if any security personnel claimed they had gone into the area, they were lying to you. He said what made him weep was [seeing] boys of 13, 14, 15 years, soaked in drugs and carrying gun.” View, More,
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