Kaduna-based Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue with the bandits responsible for the abduction of approximately 287 schoolchildren from Kuriga Government Secondary and LEA Primary Schools in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
In a bid to facilitate the release of the abducted children, Sheikh Gumi stated his intention to negotiate with the bandits, provided that President Bola Tinubu grants him the opportunity to do so. He emphasized the importance of avoiding the mistakes made by the previous administration, which refused to engage in dialogue with bandits.
The abduction occurred amidst heightened security concerns, with bandits invading the Kuriga area and taking away pupils and teachers from both schools after shooting indiscriminately. This incident followed closely on the heels of the kidnapping of 200 internally displaced women in Ngala, Borno State, while they were fetching firewood in the bush.
Residents of Gonin-Gora, within the same Chikun LGA, had previously protested against the abduction of unspecified individuals in the area by barricading the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway. However, the state government has maintained its stance of refusing to negotiate with the bandits for the release of the abducted schoolchildren.
In response to the government’s position, Sheikh Gumi criticized the refusal to engage in dialogue, labeling it as unfortunate. He urged the government to adopt a negotiation strategy similar to the one used to secure the release of passengers abducted on the Abuja–Kaduna train in 2022.
Expressing his readiness to lead a comprehensive dialogue between the government and the bandits, Sheikh Gumi emphasized the importance of dialogue for the sake of peace. He called on the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider engaging in dialogue with the bandits, highlighting the failure of the previous administration to do so.
Sheikh Gumi, known for his previous negotiation efforts to secure the release of abducted individuals, has received commendation from Nigerians for his interventions. Despite criticism, he remains committed to seeking peaceful resolutions to the challenges posed by banditry in the country.
