Nigeria: Muslim cleric acknowledges offering spiritual guidance to jihadists

Image: Jihad Watch

A 75-year-old cleric, Alhaji Lambo Ilela, has been apprehended by a local community watch group in Zamfara State for allegedly providing spiritual assistance to bandits operating across Zamfara and Katsina States.

In the course of his interrogation, the elderly cleric reportedly confessed to offering spiritual services to bandits for nearly six years. He revealed that his initial clients were nine gang leaders, including the infamous Sani Gurugu, who commands several gangs terrorizing communities in Safana.

Ilela further admitted to receiving N1.3 million from Gurugu in exchange for his spiritual services, which he claimed were meant to aid the bandits' operations.

This arrest follows an increased effort by local vigilantes to combat the activities of criminal groups and their collaborators in the region, which has long been plagued by banditry and insecurity.

In his confession, Ilela stated, "I am Alhaji Lambo Ilela, and I will explain to the Zamfara Local Community Watch what I have been involved in. I was arrested for offering spiritual support to the bandits.

"I serve as a spiritual guide for the bandits who operate in the bush. I have promised to confess all my wrongdoings to the local vigilante group, and no one forced me to reveal my association with the bandits.

"For nearly six years, I have been providing spiritual support to the bandits. My first group consisted of nine gang leaders, one of whom was Sani Gurugu, who leads several gangs in Safana. He came to me and gave me N500,000, saying they would return after their mission. I fortified them before they attacked Dan-Sadau in Zamfara State."

He continued, "After they returned from their operation, Sani Gurugu gave me N800,000. The spiritual fortification I provided worked; during the operation, they did not kidnap anyone, but they rustled cattle and other animals. Though there were confrontations, no one lost their life.

"In the second operation, Sani Gurugu did not offer me anything, but he came to me, saying they were planning to attack Faskari. After the attack, some of his gang members were killed by security forces. When he returned, he did not pay me and complained that the operation failed because I hadn't fortified them properly.

"After the failed mission, Sani Gurugu informed me that they intended to launch an attack in Dubura, Zamfara State. I provided them with further spiritual support, but once again, the operation was unsuccessful. After rustling cattle, they clashed with security forces, resulting in the deaths of eleven of his men," he added.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)