Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo once met with Boko Haram leaders in Maiduguri, Borno State, where they allegedly agreed to surrender their weapons.
Drivetvnews gathered that Gumi made the claim in a video while questioning the Federal Government’s approach to negotiations with armed groups.
According to him, Obasanjo personally told him about the meeting, which reportedly took place during the early stages of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Gumi alleged that although an agreement was reached for the group to lay down its arms, the government failed to follow through with the necessary action.
He argued that the government should not consider negotiations with Boko Haram a taboo, noting that dialogue has been used in dealing with conflicts involving armed groups in other parts of the world.
The cleric also urged the Nigerian government to take greater responsibility for resolving the country’s security challenges rather than relying heavily on the international community.
Gumi said the government should consider creating an amnesty window through which members of the insurgent groups could surrender their weapons and pursue a peaceful resolution.
However, his claims about the alleged meeting and agreement between Obasanjo and Boko Haram leaders were presented as his account and have not been independently verified in the report.
