The renewed troubleshooting of renowned Kaduna-based Islamic
scholar, Sheikh Ahnad Gumi, has continued to cause controversies among
Nigerians, especially on the social media platform, Twitter.
Nigerians were first piqued when reports and images surfaced
online of the meeting Gumi had with two set of bandits in forests in Zamfara
State.
In the images that accompanied the reports, the Islamic
cleric was seen with heavily armed bandits, who gleefully told him that they
took up arms because of the certain injustices done to them by the Nigerian
state.
The images took many aback, as they wondered how a band of
bandits can boldly display their criminality and why a respected cleric like
Gumi would openly associate with them.
But the Senior Pastor of Awaiting The Second Coming of
Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa, has said that Sheikh Ahmad Gumi is playing the
script of President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue of banditry. ”Gumi is only
playing the script of president Muhammadu Buhari and other Fulani politicians.
By now, Gumi ought to have been arrested, interrogated and jailed for knowing
where the criminal Fulani herdsmen live.
“Didn’t I say president Bubari has created jobs for his
fulani kinsmen? Are they Nigerians and why should the federal government
compensate criminals who rape, kidnap and kill innocent Nigerians?
“I doubt the existence of Nigeria if this could be happening
in the presence of security operatives. President Buhari cannot intimidate or
frighten me,” the pastor said.
Similarly, Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education has
accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government of enabling kidnapping in
Nigeria.
Ezekwesili while lamenting the strange incestuous
relationship that now exists between the government and bandits, claimed that
the ”friendship has enabled the industry of abduction to flourish in Nigeria on
basic market principles of demand and supply.”
Even more disgusting to many Nigerians, who have expressed
their feelings online, is the continued advocacy the Sheikh has mounted since
his first meeting with the bandits in Zamfara forests.
The cleric, in several interviews, had called on the Federal
Government to grant the bandits amnesty, insisting that the bandits are victims
of injustices brought about by the Nigerian state. According to him, the armed
bandits are responding to the killings of their people by the military and
rustling of their cattle by rustlers, without protection from the government.
The anger and discontent expressed by Nigerians online
however took a new dimension reports and images appeared of the Sheikh Gumi’s
meeting with bandits the alleged abductors of students and staff of Government
Science College (GSC), Kagara, Niger State, in apparent negotiation for the
release of the abductees.
As expected, Nigerians took to social media, especially
Twitter to vent their anger and disapproval of what they termed as his romance
with criminals, while others hailed him for volunteering to negotiate and secure
the release of the victims.
Below are some of the reactions of Twitter:
@sadiqTade wrote: “Sheikh Gumi seems to know more about
bandits (terrorists) in the northern states judging with his recent engagements
with these people. I don’t know if he is doing the right thing or not but I
feel something isn’t reasonable about the whole thing. More like encouraging
Terrorism.
“On a regular day, Buhar-led administration has done so much
to give confidence to terrorists. Although these terrorists with sophisticated
weapons are being paraded as Bandits in the media maybe for politics. However,
the fact remains Buhari admin has emboldened these criminals.
“You can’t keep negotiating with this dangerous set and keep
expecting positive change or something related. Rewarding, negotiating or
dialoguing with criminals would only encourage potential criminals to dive into
full criminality because they are aware of the juicy rewards.”
@Dan99st wrote: “They kidnap and get compensated. They are
just using the masses to finance their agenda. Later on, they get pardoned
because they’re “reformed”. All of this is wrong.”
@Aitemej1 wrote: “From the presidency to the governors to
the legislators to the sheiks/other Islamic scholars, to the traditional
rulers, to the religious leaders and many elites in the north nothing is hidden
in all these dramas.
In fact, many are key actors and are just trying to fool
Nigerians”
@Matru wrote: “Na middleman business Sheik dey do. Him dey
collect him share after every transaction”
@NNWaebiem said: “If they are not encouraged to keep
kidnapping people, how would they implement the much needed Northern Amnesty?
Remember, Federal Character is enshrined in our constitution. I said it and
nothing will happen!”
@emekakickoff said: “Am so surprised. When I listened to his
call in a telephone conversation guest @RaypowerNetwork I was hummmmm, so bold
with his talk. Something seems not right at all.”
@Matrumery wrote: “He wants to be chopping middleman money
when the government and bandit negotiate.. it’s business for him. He collects
his share as mediator”
@the_olanrewaju said: “Balance me quick, how did he locate
the bandits? What intelligence does he have that the security agencies don’t?
Questions begging for answers.”
@Kingjoey said: The Gumi’s style will breed more insurgents.
There is nothing better about it. Am beginning to suspect that Boko Haram,
Gumi’s ‘Children’ are still the bandits. Kwatiniu, God will judge leaders of
Boko Haram masquerading like Clerics of God
Despite the misgivings expressed by some Nigerians, others
are of the view that the respected cleric is doing a great job by interfacing
with the bandits.
The grandson of second Republic President, Bello Shagari,
tweeting with the handle @belshagy wrote: “Instead of being seen as a brave
cleric facing these criminals face to face, Sheikh Gumi is seen by those who
misunderstood as either the northern interest, government agent and sometimes
even as criminal himself.
“He is just a volunteer working on his own.
“Yes you can compare Sunday Igoho with Sheikh Gumi in the
sense that they are intervening.
“However, while Sheikh is calling for peace, Sunday is
calling for war.
“The sheikh is not inciting anyone unlike Sunday openly
does.”
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