Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has again sparked outrage after describing the abduction of schoolchildren as a “lesser evil” when compared to the killing of military personnel by bandits.

Gumi, who spoke in an interview with BBC Pidgin, said while all actions of criminal groups troubling the country are reprehensible, kidnapping remains a milder offence than murder.

“Kidnapping children is a lesser evil than killing soldiers,” he said. “They are both evil acts, but killing is worse. Look at the incident in Kebbi—those schoolgirls were eventually released.”

The cleric, who has often faced criticism over his comments on bandits, dismissed claims of having direct ties with the criminal groups. According to him, the last time he engaged bandits in dialogue was in 2021, and never without the presence of government officials.

Reacting to the recent abduction of schoolchildren from a Catholic school in Niger State, Gumi expressed hope that the victims would escape or be rescued safely.

The cleric has consistently maintained that negotiations, rather than military confrontation, offer a more sustainable path to ending Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis.