Popular Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has appealed to the Nigerian government to urgently attend to the threat by armed bandits who abducted students of Greenfield University, Kaduna State.
The Kaduna-based cleric asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay the N100 million ransom and provide the 10 motorcycles demanded by the armed bandits.
Recall the bandits who abducted about 23 students of Greenfield University, had on Monday given the Kaduna State Government a 24-hour ultimatum to meet their ransom demands or they murder their victims.
Sani Idris Jalingo, who identified himself as the leader of the bandits, said that 17 students of the university are in their custody.
While speaking in a telephone conversation with the Hausa service of the Voice of America (VOA), Jalingo threatened the state government under the administration of Governor Nasir Ahmad El Rufai if he fails to pay the ransom within the stipulated time, of which has been elapsed.
Meanwhile, Gumi, who recently added ‘Chief Negotiator’ to his title, while speaking with The Punch, called on the government to urgently secure the release of the abducted students.
Gumi, who has been advocating for government’s negotiation on behalf of the bandits, had in the past demanded that amnesty be granted to the marauding bandits.
Gumi has now called for support from the government to “shield” the bandits away from becoming infiltrated by Boko Haram elements and its ideologies.
According to him, “We need to shield them (bandits) because they are naive.”
In his words: “The money they are asking for is too much; if I give you that money, you cannot run away with it. Nobody can run.
“So, why not give them the money, they release the boys and then we pursue them and get our money back and do what is necessary; it is simple logic.
“So, bring the money from the central bank. How can they move that money? We should not be stupid. These people are getting infiltrated; Boko Haram is getting close and they don’t respect the clergy.
“I need support to get them inoculated against the infiltration of these ideologies, whether Boko Haram or Ansaru, whatever it is. We need to shield them because they are naïve.
“If there is too much pressure on them, and they see help from Boko Haram, who are richer and have more weapons, it is going to consume everybody.”
