“We have to understand,” he said, “that these people are from amongst us and that the society was not doing enough to bring these elements out. I can tell you that Boko Haram is 100 per cent a Muslim problem.”
Mr. Gumi, who also described the agitation for Biafra as “analogue,” challenged Muslim leaders to do more to combat Boko Haram.
Commenting on the controversial bill to regulate preaching in Kaduna State, Mr. Gumi said the bill had gone too far and was an infringement on the constitution.
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“If you are trying to fight terrorism and extremism,” he said, “you don’t clamp on the freedom of speech, freedom of thought and freedom of propagation of thoughts. These liberties are enshrined in the constitution.”
The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had said the bill was an updated version of an existing law required to curtail inflammatory sermons by faith leaders.
The cleric also spoke on the military-Shiite clash in Zaria, the ongoing investigation into the $2.1billion arms scandal involving the former National Securuty Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.