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Gumi wants Buhari to rescind shoot-on-sight order
BY KAZIE UKO
Islamic Scholar, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has said the shoot-on-sight order of President Muhammadu Buhari is hindering his efforts to negotiate the release of the kidnapped students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Kaduna.
President Buhari, following incessant attacks on schools and kidnappings of students, especially in northern Nigeria, had ordered security agencies to shoot-on-sight anyone found carrying illegal arms in the forest across the country.
So-called armed bandits and suspected Fulani cattle herders have taken over the forests across the federation, from where they operate, as they terrorise innocent citizens, unleashing all kinds of violence, including killings, kidnappings, lootings and raping of women – young and old.
But in an interview, he granted the Daily Trust, the Islamic cleric said some of the bandits he met in the forest during his previous peace meetings have assisted in identifying the leader of the gang responsible for the abduction of the Kaduna students.
READ: Fulani herdsmen-turned bandits, kidnappers are peaceful, victims of circumstance – Gumi
He, however, said he has not been able to reach out to him because of the shoot-on-sight order of the president.
The cleric added that during his previous meetings with the bandits in their enclave, he met with more than 80 percent of their leaders, saying if not for lack of encouragement from some government officials, he would have met all the leaders to persuade them to lay their arms for peace to reign.
“If we had encouragement, we would have met all the leaders. All those we met usually offered to support us to negotiate on our behalf, just like what happened in Niger State.
“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.
READ: No Fulani will go back to rearing cows after collecting millions in ransom – El Rufai
“Those groups we met identified him but we could not reach out to him because of the security implication since the government gave 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.”
Asked what needs to be done to get the victims released, Gumi said, “What I think is for the government to just relax and allow us to follow these people to teach them how to behave, admonish them and then negotiate so that they stop this thing. We are doing this for ourselves not for the government or any political party.
“We don’t want politicians to mess up our land because they will come and go while we remain here, God willing. So, we are not doing it for political reasons, we are doing it for ourselves so that we stop killing each other.”