Headlines
Gumi insists army deployed along religious lines, blames media
BY KAZIE UKO
Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, has reiterated his earlier comment that the Nigerian Army deployed soldiers along religious bias.
He, however, clarified that this was between 2010 and 2015.
Gumi explained that his earlier comments were misinterpreted, blaming media reports for the misunderstanding.
The retired army Captain, according to The Punch, insisted that he had a good understanding of the Nigerian Army, adding that many things have not changed since he left the force.
Gumi, a graduate of medicine from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army in 1982. He resigned the army in 1987 as a Colonel to pursue Arabic and Islamic Studies in Egypt. He later moved to Saudi Arabia where he spent over 20 years before returning to Nigeria.
The Islamic scholar was seen in a video clip telling some bandits that soldiers were divided into Muslims and non-Muslims.
READ: Army warns Gumi, denies troops deployed along religious lines
“I saw the Army’s response. What I will say is that there is a misunderstanding in the issues. When I speak about the religious issue in the Army, I am not referring to today’s Army.
“The issue is from 2010-2015, when some people were in-charge and a lot of bad things happened.
“It is during that time that there were bombings everywhere. It happened in Jaji and we lost a popular Muslim general. Even, I was saved by God because they planted a bomb for me,” Gumi told BBC while reacting to Nigerian Army’s response to his comment in the video.
The Nigerian Army had cautioned Gumi against making divisive and disparaging utterances against the military institution.
Army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Yerima, while reacting to the video, said the army did not deploy its troops along ethnic or religious lines as stated by the cleric during his interaction with bandits.
He admonished the cleric and other “opinion merchants” to exercise restraint and not drag the image and reputation of “one of the most reliable national institutions to disrepute.”