Prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has expressed readiness to lead a dialogue with armed bandits who abducted about 287 school children from Kuriga Government Secondary and LEA Primary Schools in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
The Muslim cleric said that in order to expedite the release of the kidnapped school children, President Bola Tinubu should give him the opportunity to negotiate.
He stated that Tinubu must not repeat the mistake made by former President Muhammadu Buhari, who refused to dialogue with bandits.
He added, “The government’s stand of no negotiation with the bandits is an unfortunate position. My advice is that the government should dialogue with the bandits not only for these Kuriga school children’s abductions but all cases.
“Also, the government should use the same approach it used in releasing passengers that were abducted on the Abuja–Kaduna train in 2022 to release the Kuriga school children and others.
“I am ready to lead a holistic dialogue between the government and bandits. It is my religious duty to do so for peace.
“I hope the present government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will listen by dialoguing with the bandits because the past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari refused to do so.”
Report states that the armed bandits stormed the Kuriga area of the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, shooting at their victims before taking away at least 280 of the pupils and teachers from both schools.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna state government has refused to dialogue with the bandits to release the school children and has also refuted claims that it had hired a private negotiator to facilitate the release of the victims.
Gumi had previously negotiated on behalf of state governments to free abducted people by bandits.
Recall that in May 2021, one of the parents of the kidnapped students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, said rather than point an accusing finger at Gumi for being complicit in the banditry ravaging the country, Nigerians should commend the cleric for his interventions in seeking the release of abducted persons in the country.
