Gumi Urges Tinubu Government-Bandit Dialogue for Kidnapped Nigerians
In the pursuit of securing the release of kidnapped Nigerians, renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi steps forward, expressing a readiness to mediate comprehensive discussions between the Federal Government and bandits. In a noteworthy plea to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Sheikh Gumi advises against repeating the perceived mistake made by former President Muhammadu Buhari, who avoided engaging in dialogue with bandits.
The catalyst for Sheikh Gumi’s appeal is the recent refusal of the Kaduna State government to negotiate with the bandits responsible for the abduction of 287 school children from Kuriga Government Secondary and LEA Primary Schools in Chikun Local Government Area.
Last week’s incident involved the abduction of over 280 students from Kuriga primary school, prompting a response from Sheikh Gumi. In a statement, he emphasizes the government’s stance of non-negotiation with bandits as an unfortunate position. Sheikh Gumi advocates for a dialogue not only for the Kuriga school children’s abduction but for all similar cases.
He proposes that the government adopt the successful approach used in releasing passengers abducted on the Abuja-Kaduna train in 2022 to secure the freedom of the Kuriga school children and others. Sheikh Gumi boldly offers to lead a comprehensive dialogue between the government and bandits, citing it as a religious duty for the sake of peace.
In closing, Sheikh Gumi expresses hope that the present government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will heed his call for dialogue with the bandits, emphasizing the importance of learning from the past administration’s refusal under former President Muhammadu Buhari.