Sheikh Gumi: Many Boko Haram Commanders Willing To Surrender

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric,
Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has revealed
t h a t s e v e r a l Bo k o Ha r am
commanders are willing to
surrender and urged the federal
government to use proper
engagement to negotiate with the
group. Gumi, who spoke to in
Kaduna yesterday after hosting the
released students of the Federal
College of Forestry Mechanisation,
Afaka, Kaduna also reiterated his
call on the government to negotiate
with bandits. The cleric noted that
information at his disposal revealed
t h a t ma n y B o k o H a r am
commanders were willing to
surrender and be integrated into
society. He further disclosed that
the bandits were also putting
pressure on him to assist them

The cleric revealed that the bandits
that kidnapped the Kaduna Greenfield
University students have also
suspended their initial plan to kill the
students and expressed the hope that
they will also regain their freedom.
On whether ransom was paid for the
release of the school of forestry
students, Gumi said his team did not
pay any ransom. He, however, added
that some parents, who were
impatient, went behind his team to tell
the bandits that they were willing to
pay. Gumi pointed out that he did not
know if those parents paid ransom or
not. Reacting to the issue of whether
the students were molested sexually or
not, Gumi disclosed that a notorious
bandit who wanted to take away a
female student to unknown location to
molest her was killed by his
colleagues to prove the point that they

The cleric revealed that the bandits
that kidnapped the Kaduna Greenfield
University students have also
suspended their initial plan to kill the
students and expressed the hope that
they will also regain their freedom.
On whether ransom was paid for the
release of the school of forestry
students, Gumi said his team did not
pay any ransom. He, however, added
that some parents, who were
impatient, went behind his team to tell
the bandits that they were willing to
pay. Gumi pointed out that he did not
know if those parents paid ransom or
not. Reacting to the issue of whether
the students were molested sexually or
not, Gumi disclosed that a notorious
bandit who wanted to take away a
female student to unknown location to
molest her was killed by his
colleagues to prove the point that they

were not irresponsible but were just
agitating for better welfare.
According to him, the bandits are
different from the Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB) and the
other groups agitating in the South
because they believe in the
government of Nigeria and other
constituted authorities. Speaking
earlier at the reception he held for
the released Afaka students, Gumi
asked them to put the ugly past
behind them and pursue their
educ a t ion. “My appe a l to
government is to engage with the
bandits so that the bandits can
abandon their ways. “They are
already showing signs that they are
ready. They have grievances, which
I think if we come together we can
cure this menace in a very short
time,” he said.He called for the
cooperation of governments at all
levels to resolve the security
cha l l enge s . “We want the
cooperation of federal, state and
local governments; the clergy and
other well-meaning Nigerians
should all come together to sit
down and talk,” he said. Asked how
he secured the release of the
students, Gumi said: “You don’t
negotiate with your friend, you
negotiate with your enemy

The first thing you do is to try and
break the ice and break the barrier
between you and the person you are
negotiating with and also build
confidence by demonstrating that
you are not going to cheat them or
deceive them. “If there is that level
of communication, then negotiation
come s in the thi rd pha s e .
“These are people who have been
involved in this kind of criminality
for a long time, we have to use
psychology on them because it is not
possible over night to just consent.
“ B u t p r e a c h i n g t o t h em,
admonishing them and showing
them the way out of their problems
helped a lot in getting them to
understand and release these
children.” Also in his remarks
forme r Pr e s ident Olus egun
Obasanjo, who was represented by
Mr. Vitalis Ortese, congratulated
everyone for making it possible for
the release of the students and
expressed the hope that “this will
lead to the release of other persons in
captivity.” Speaking on behalf of the
parents, Mr. Friday Sani, expressed
gratitude to Gumi and Obasanjo for
their roles in ensuring the release of
the students. He said: “We are here to
appreciate the emancipating team
led by Sheikh Gumi. He stood by us
to the end. We are happy that our
children are back to us.

“The leaders of tomorrow who will
make this country proud. We want to
give God the glory for what He has
done for us. “We are praying that God
will help them to overcome the trauma
t h e y w e n t t h r o u g h .
“Some of us have been going in and
out of hospitals for them to receive
p r o p e r t r e a t m e n t .
“We need the support of the
government to rehabilitate these
children so that they will be fit enough
to return to school. Today is a happy
day for us.” Meanwhile, the parents
have dismissed speculations that the
students were sexually molested while
in captivity. In a statement on Sunday
in Kaduna, spokesman of the parents,
Mr. Abdullahi Usman, said the
speculations being circulated online
that the students were sexually
molested is not true.Usman said while
the parents were basking in the joy of
having reunited with their children
who were released unharmed. “On
behalf of the parents, we wish to set
the records straight and hope that this
will end the circulation of the
fabrication of the stories. We state in
unequivocal terms that none of the 37
kidnapped (now freed) Afaka students
were sexually or homosexually
molested by the bandits,” he said.
42 ARABELLA

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *