From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Pan-Arewa socio-political organisation, the North East Elders for Peace and Development (NEEPD), has dissociated itself from Ahmad Gumi, Islamic cleric, over his alleged religious profiling of military operatives.
Gumi was quoted to have said non-Muslim soldiers carried out orchestrated killings of bandits and consequently precipitating their anger.
“What I want you people to understand is, soldiers that are involved in most of the criminalities are not Muslims. You know, soldiers have Muslims and non-Muslims. The non-Muslims are the ones causing confusion just to ignite a crisis,” he was quoted to have said when he met with suspected bandits in Tegina forest, on the border between Niger and Kaduna states.
But, NEEPD national coordinator, Zana Goni, in a statement, yesterday, argued that the cleric’s claim could dampen the morale in the fight against bandits and further escalate the kidnappings and killings ravaging the zone. The elders added that Gumi’s allegations did not represent the position of the region, asking the public to see the claims as personal sentiments of the cleric.
The group said they would have commended Gumi for his peacemaking efforts “but for the profiling comments attributed to him, which we consider abhorrent and unhelpful to national development and peace.”
They warned that such a statement was capable of inciting the public against soldiers.
“We rise in one voice to dissociate ourselves from the dangerous and divisive allegations levelled against our patriotic soldiers by Sheikh Gumi, in one of his missions to meet with bandits in a forest around Niger State,” the group said.
“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.
“To douse this tension, therefore, we call on relevant authorities, including prominent individuals and groups from the North, to condemn Gumi’s position in a manner that will absolve the region of conspiracy and vicarious liability, in the long run.
“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.
“Lastly, we urge Gumi to stop approbating and reprobating at the same time, and to immediately call off his mission, if he has developed lethargy in the course of undertaking visits to deep forests.”
Gumi should be arrested immediately or else he will cause a religious war in Nigeria. The man who said that terrorist are not criminals is the man Nigerians are listening to what a shame.
At lease you Northerners are beginning to know and denounce satanic agents amongst your kith and kin. Good to read that you have disassociated yourselves from your very re-nouned cleric and religious leader. To further encourage these young military men and officers who risk their lives on a daily basis with providing security for us as a nation, I think you should go further with banishing Gumi from your domain. Ban him from public preaching and all religious events.
Once sharia/Islam are on the table,a Moslem fundamentalist be him a professor becomes Uniformed;be him an imam/sheikh becomes Darkness;and be him a General becomes a Terrorist.those who heard me say this man will soon betray his emotions won’t be surprised.of course,not only him.a Governor endorsed possession of AK-47 for self defense.he didn’t stop there.he went further to say you can settle In the forests WITHOUT ANYBODY’S PERMISSION irrespective of what you do in the forest.we can continue to wallow in our self deceit on the premise of politics(religious,tribal,ethnic,sectional protectionism) but those who cause the flow of the blood of the innocent and the saints will pay the price.God’s wrath shall come upon them.