Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo once met with leaders of Boko Haram in Maiduguri, Borno State, where the insurgents allegedly agreed to surrender their weapons.
Gumi made the claim in a video while advocating dialogue as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s long-running security challenges.
According to the cleric, Obasanjo personally told him about the meeting, which he said took place during the early stages of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Gumi alleged that the proposed agreement eventually failed because the government did not act on commitments reportedly made during the discussions.
He said Obasanjo returned from Borno State unhappy over the government's alleged reluctance to follow up on the agreement.
Gumi stated: “Look at Obasanjo; he told me this himself that, at the early stage of Boko Haram, he went to Maiduguri where he met with the leaders of Boko Haram and they agreed to lay down their arms.
“And he came back, but the government was reluctant to take action, and he was bitter about that; you can interview him.”
The cleric also questioned the perception that negotiating with armed groups should be ruled out, noting that dialogue has been used in attempts to resolve conflicts involving armed organisations in other parts of the world.
“You negotiate with the Taliban, Hamas; you negotiate with everybody you have problems with; why can’t we negotiate with them? So it’s now like a taboo to negotiate with them?” he asked.
Gumi further called on the Federal Government to develop security solutions based on Nigeria’s specific circumstances rather than relying primarily on international expectations.
He argued that the government should take ownership of the country's security challenges and determine the approach it believes is most appropriate.
“If I were to be president, I would just come around and give a six-month amnesty window for them to put down their weapons,” Gumi said.
His comments come amid continued debate over the use of military operations, negotiations, amnesty and other measures to address insurgency and insecurity in parts of Nigeria.
Gumi’s claims about the alleged meeting between Obasanjo and Boko Haram leaders have not been independently verified in the information provided.