The Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), has issued a stern warning to Sheikh Ahmed Gumi and other Nigerians against portraying bandits as part of any so-called northern brotherhood.
In a statement released on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Defence Minister declared, “A friend of a thief is a thief,” cautioning citizens against supporting terrorists and bandits in any form.
Musa stressed that the statement was neither accidental nor symbolic, describing it as a direct response to narratives previously advanced by Sheikh Gumi, who had referred to bandits hiding in forests as “our brothers” and argued that society could not do without them.
According to the Defence Minister, such rhetoric dangerously blurs the line between empathy and complicity. While compassion has its place, he warned that justifying or normalising terrorism only emboldens criminal networks that have ravaged communities, displaced families, and claimed countless innocent lives.
He noted that labeling bandits as “brothers” does not reduce violence but rather legitimises criminality and weakens national security efforts.
Musa further emphasized that terrorism thrives not only on weapons but also on moral and ideological cover. He warned that anyone who excuses, defends, or shields criminals—whether through words, influence, or silence—shares responsibility for the harm they cause.
The Defence Minister concluded that Nigeria cannot defeat banditry and terrorism if dangerous narratives continue to obscure the distinction between victims and perpetrators, insisting that neutrality is not an option in matters of national security.
“The choice is clear,” he said. “Stand with the law and the nation, or be counted among those enabling crime.”