Many Nigerians have lambasted Islamic scholar Sheik Ahmad Gumi over the new statement credited to him regarding the 100 million naira ransom demanded by the abductors of the students of Greenfield University in Kaduna.
Gumi had reportedly advised the federal government to order the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to the ransom available to the bandits before it got too late; he urged the Nigerian government not to underestimate the threat by the kidnappers.
Speaking on the demands made by the bandits, Sheik Gumi said the issue of the Greenfield students is a little bit more complex, adding that there are two groups of bandits, the ordinary Fulani ethnic herdsmen and the religious elements, terrorists.
Reacting to Gumi’s stand, many Nigerians described it as unfortunate.
@CreekBoy14 “Sheikh Ahmed Gumi is running a Banditry, Herdsmen and kidnappers syndicate, and he’s doing it freely and openly to the glare of all and NOTHING is happening to him or his syndicate! I pity for Nigeria.”
@frankdmx “Gumi, definitely gets some cash from those kidnappers if CBN pays that 100m.”
@iSlimfit “Why is DSS not after Sheik Gumi already? Or there’s something we don’t know?”
@Advsola “Gumi knows where the bandits are and how to find them, but security agents can’t. It’s well. Once again, what exactly is DSS that’s supposed to be an intelligence agency doing?”
You will recall that one of the kidnappers, identified as Sani Jalingo, had demanded ten million naira and ten motorcycles during an interview with the Hausa Service of the Voice of America.
Meanwhile, parents of the abducted students had also called on the Federal Government to do everything possible to come to their rescue.
During an interview, one of the mothers of the kidnapped student disclosed that they took them to Sheik Gumi’s house, and he directed them to an Ahmed, who invited a Fulani from Kaduna. The woman added that they contributed N800,000 for him.