Esther Odediran
Popular Islamic cleric Sheik Ahmad Gumi explains why the students are not released yet. These bandits are not willing to release the students due to some reasons. On March 12, the students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization Kaduna were kidnapped.
Sheik Ahmad Gumi, an intermediator between the Government and bandits. Sheik explains why abducted students are not released (the reason for their hesitation).
Sheik explains why abducted students are not released According to him the ‘shoot-on-sight’ order by President Muhammadu Buhari is hindering the release of Federal College of Forestry students. These bandits seem not to trust the Government or any other person during negotiations since the law became enacted.
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Another said the criminals are always suspicious of anyone they come in contact with as they fear that such persons might be working for the government.
Moreover, Sheik said he has met with some of the bandits in a bush for negotiation but it proved unproductive. That is because the bandits have not being able to communicate with their leader after the President’s new law.
According to Sheik Gumi;
Presently, our ability has reached the extent that we can identify who is involved in any criminal act. We have identified the leader of those who took the students but he has never attended any peace meeting with us.
Sheik Ahmad Gumi also added;
Those groups we met identified him but we could not reach out to him because of the security implication since the government gave the shoot-on-sight order and then the government said no negotiation. So, I don’t want us to go into the bush and the government will think we are encouraging them.
Sheik Ahmad Gumi advises the government to relax and allow him and his team negotiate peacefully with the bandits. However, parents of the abducted students express worry and wish their children will be released early.
