Prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmed Gumi has asserted that the alarming number of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria is a primary driver of the region’s worsening insecurity, calling on wealthy Nigerians to redirect funds from lavish ceremonies and footballer donations toward mass education initiatives.
In an interview with Trust TV News, Gumi directly connected illiteracy with criminality, stating that banditry and violent crime are overwhelmingly perpetrated by those without formal education.
“Oh, definitely there’s a correlation, because every bandit or every criminal you get, you find that he's illiterate, he's not educated,” Gumi stated. “We that are educated, me and you, you hardly find people like us in banditry or in crimes like that.”
Education as a National Security Imperative
The cleric emphasized that education is not only a fundamental human right but also a critical tool for combating insecurity. “So education really has a factor, it's a big factor in the widespread insecurity we have in this nation,” he said.
He questioned the societal logic of allowing children to roam the streets without schooling or support, especially amid economic hardship. “How can we allow people to be roaming about in the streets? How can they not be lured into crimes?” Gumi asked, highlighting how inflation and poverty push vulnerable populations toward illegal activities.
Appeal to the Affluent
In a pointed message to Nigeria’s wealthy elite, Gumi urged a shift in philanthropic priorities away from celebrity culture and extravagant spending.
“I think it's high time now, especially our rich people, rather than donating money to footballers and all this kind of uselessly spending money on lavish ceremonies, let's gather money enough to bring out every child from the street and put him in school,” he declared.
He argued that such an investment would yield broad social dividends, including crime reduction and job creation. “The educational sector is a big industry… It's going to, in fact, absorb many graduates that are jobless now,” Gumi explained, framing education as a systemic solution to unemployment—another key factor fueling insecurity.
Gumi’s remarks come amid persistent security challenges in Northern Nigeria, where banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence remain prevalent. His call refocuses attention on the deep-rooted social issues underlying the crisis and challenges private wealth to play a transformative role in national healing.
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