Kaduna: Northern Elders react as Sheikh Gumi urges Tinubu to allow him negotiate with bandits

The plea of Sheikh Ahmad Gumi to hold talks with the bandits who kidnapped approximately 287 students from Kuriga Government Secondary and LEA Primary Schools in the Chikun local government area of Kaduna state has been approved by President Bola Tinubu at the request of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).
According to the group, the Muslim cleric from Kaduna might be able to get the students’ release and stop such kidnappings, The Punch added.

A number of kidnapping events have recently led to an increase in insecurity in Northern Nigeria, particularly in the states of Kaduna and Borno.

200 internally displaced women from Borno and 287 students and instructors from Kaduna schools were abducted by insurgents in less than a day.

After firing shots, the attackers rushed Kuriga and took the victims out of the schools.

The controversial Islamic scholar begged President Tinubu to allow him to deal with the robbers in order to obtain their release.

Additionally, he counseled the president not to make the same mistake that previous President Muhammadu Buhari did when he refused to negotiate with the robbers.

However, the federal government has declared that it will not pay “a dime” as a ransom for the release of schoolchildren and that they will be “brought back to safety.”
Abduction in Kaduna: State Government Takes Critical Action To Save 287 Students

The NEF’s spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, expressed support for Gumi’s efforts to engage in negotiations with bandits in Kaduna during a Saturday, March 16 interview with The Punch.

He claims that the goal of the conversation is to defuse the situation and preserve lives.

In order to safely release kidnapped children and solve underlying issues fueling violence, Suleiman emphasized the significance of comprehending the bandits’ complaints and intentions through communication.

He emphasized that having conversations with bandits is a calculated step to save innocent victims and stop kidnappings in the future, not to support their behavior.

As a way to bring about peace in Kaduna, the NEF’s spokesman argued in favor of backing Gumi’s talks.

“While some may question the legitimacy of negotiating with criminals, it is important to consider the potential benefits of engaging in dialogue. In conflict resolution, dialogue is often seen as crucial to finding peaceful solutions,” he said.

The 287 Kaduna students and teachers who are being held captive by kidnappers have contacted the spokesperson for the distressed families, threatening to kill them in 20 days if they do not give the N1 billion ransom demanded.
In her capacity as the hostage families’ advocate, community leader Jubril Aminu revealed the demands made by the abductors.

“They made a total of a 1 billion (naira) ransom demand for all the pupils, students and staff of the school,” Aminu said.

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