In the city of Kaduna, renowned Islamic leader Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has expressed his readiness to engage in discussions with the culprits behind the kidnapping of nearly 287 pupils from the Kuriga Government Secondary and LEA Primary Schools situated in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
Sheikh Gumi has proposed this initiative as a means to secure the freedom of the kidnapped children, provided President Bola Tinubu grants him the authorization to conduct negotiations.
The distinguished cleric emphasized the importance of not repeating the oversight of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, who opted not to engage in talks with the kidnappers.
Reports from The PUNCH have detailed the distressing event in the Kuriga region of the Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna State, where assailants launched an attack, firing at their targets before abducting over 280 students and educators from the two institutions.
This harrowing incident took place just a day after the abduction of 200 displaced women in Borno State.
The abduction occurred in Ngala, the central town of Gambarou Ngala in Borno State, as the women were gathering firewood in the wilderness.
Just the week before, bandits had struck Gonin-Gora in the same Chikun LGA, leading to a public outcry where residents blocked the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway in protest of the kidnapping of an undetermined number of individuals from the community.
Despite these events, the state government has maintained a stance against negotiating with the kidnappers for the release of the schoolchildren and has also denied any engagement with a private intermediary for the release of the captives.
In light of these developments, Sheikh Gumi remarked, “The government’s stand of no negotiation with the bandits is an unfortunate position. My advice is that the government should dialogue with the bandits not only for these Kuriga school children’s abductions but all cases. Also, the government should use the same approach it used in releasing passengers that were abducted on the Abuja–Kaduna train in 2022 to release the Kuriga school children and others. I am ready to lead a holistic dialogue between the government and bandits. It is my religious duty to do so for peace. I hope the present government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will listen by dialoguing with the bandits because the past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari refused to do so.”
Previously, Gumi has acted as a mediator on behalf of state authorities to secure the release of individuals abducted by bandits.
In May 2021, a parent of one of the kidnapped students from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Afaka, Kaduna State, praised Gumi’s efforts, urging the public to recognize the cleric’s contributions towards facilitating the release of hostages rather than critiquing his involvement in the nation’s banditry issues.
