Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has pleaded with the government not to take the threats by the kidnappers of students of Greenfield University, Kaduna lightly.
He disclosed this in an interview, where he made it known that the Central Bank of Nigeria should pay the N100m ransom being demanded by the kidnappers of the students.
The 23 students and a member of staff of the university were allegedly abducted from the school on April 20, 2021, and few days later, five of the students were killed by the bandits.
According to reports, one of the bandits, Sani Jalingo, in an interview with the Hausa service of the Voice of America, on Monday, demanded N100m and 10 motorcycles for the students to be freed.
He threatened that the failure of the Kaduna State Government or families of the students to meet the demands by Tuesday (yesterday), would lead to the killing of the abductees.
Meanwhile, Gumi who spoke on Tuesday during a programme of the African Independent Television, Kakaaki, said he needed the support of the Federal Government to rescue the students.
He added that, “As for the forestry students, we have been trying to see whether we can get some of the herdsmen’s contact so that they can release these people. We have also been trying our best but you know we have limitations, there are lots of obstacles on the way but the parents have been really consulting with us.”
Gumi added that, “The issue of the Greenfield students is a little bit more complex. There are two groups of bandits. We have the ordinary Fulani ethnic herdsmen and the religious elements, terrorists. That is why we have been telling the government to support us so that we can go in and bring the children out.”
“The issue is getting compounded because this element is coming in; Boko Haram is coming into the scene now. They are the ones that captured Greenfield students. It is not a question of sleeping. You have to act very fast,” he said.
The cleric stated that, “ 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,” he concluded.
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