by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A renowned Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has called on President Tinubu-led administration to permit him to engage in discussions with the bandits responsible for the abduction of approximately 287 school children from Kuriga Government Secondary and LEA Primary Schools in Kaduna State’s Chikun Local Government Area.
Sheikh Gumi emphasized the importance of dialogue, urging President Bola Tinubu to adopt a different approach from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who refused negotiations with bandits.
The recent attack in Kuriga saw bandits invading the area, shooting at victims, and subsequently abducting at least 280 pupils and teachers.
The incident occurred shortly after insurgents kidnapped 200 internally-displaced women in Ngala, Borno State, while they were gathering firewood.
Gumi, who was reacting to the government’s refusal to engage in dialogue with bandits for the release of the abducted schoolchildren, expressed his disagreement, stating that, “The government’s stance of no negotiation with the bandits is regrettable.”
He suggested that the government should employ the same approach used to release passengers abducted on the Abuja–Kaduna train in 2022.
Asserting his willingness to facilitate dialogue between the government and bandits, Gumi emphasized the importance of ‘peaceful resolution.’
Gumi, who has previously mediated between state governments and bandits for the release of abducted individuals, received commendation for his efforts in seeking the release of kidnapped persons across the country.