Northern Elders Caution Gumi Over Justifying Banditry

NorthEast Elders for Peace and Development, have cautioned Sheikh Abubakar Ahmad Gumi, against justifying armed banditry and other forms of criminality ravaging the north.

According to report, the elders expressed concern about the recent comments and attitude of the cleric which according to them could embolden the bandits.

The group dissociated themselves from comments credited to the Sheikh where he accused the Nigerian military of triggering the raging banditry in parts of the North. According to the elders, the fiery Islamic cleric is making wild and unsubstantiated claims.

The Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, who has had series of meetings with bandits in forests across Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and Niger states, alleged in one of such outings that non-Muslim soldiers had carried out orchestrated killings in some communities, precipitating anger.

The cleric had made a similar claim on a national television program on Tuesday morning, maintaining that the military had allegedly carried out the said campaign between 2010 and 2015.

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The Northern elders reacting to the allegation by Gumi insisted that his position was not a representation of the position of the region, saying the public should note that the comment is a personal sentiment of the cleric.

The Group, therefore, urged the general public to discountenance the allegations made by Gumi, the group vouched for the professionalism and non-partisan nature of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

In a statement by the National Coordinator of the group, Engineer Zana Goni, the elders vowed to resist attempts by any individual or group to profile the military, which they maintained, remained the most visible symbol of national unity and cohesion.

According to them, the need for groups and organizations in the North to condemn Gumi’s dangerous claims has become imperative, 

"Gumi may be justifying armed banditry and all that is associated with the crime, a development, they feared, could embolden the perpetrators." they said.

The elders wondered why an Islamic cleric and scholar, who had taken the initiative to discuss with bandits, will end up taking sides, as his statements suggested.

“We insist that our military is one of the finest in the world, with zero-tolerance for partisanship, ethnic consideration and other unprofessional dispositions.

“We warn that comments such as this have the potential of pitting the exposed soldiers against general areas in the North, where they have continued to put down their lives to protect the territorial integrity of the nation from those that seek to violate it.

“Our concern is further hinged on the possibility of the world concluding that the North may be offering tacit endorsement to banditry and associated crimes against society”. they said.

They added that: “In whatever position we find ourselves, we must, at all material times, endeavour to put the collective interest of Nigeria over and above all other considerations, bearing in mind the fact that when the country collapses, it will do so on all of us, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or belief.
 
The group called out the Sheikh to immediately call-off his mission of undertaking visits to deep forests.