FG Threatens To Arrest Gumi For Making ‘Reckless Statements’

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi

The federal government has declared that it will not hold back from holding anyone accountable for remarks it deems to be offensive or careless.

The executive branch of government maintains that everyone is subject to the law.

Following the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House in Abuja on Monday, March 25, this was announced by Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation.

Few days after terrorists abducted at least 287 students from Kuriga in Kaduna State's Chikun Local Government Area, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic cleric, made a dialogue offer to the kidnappers.

Gumi suggested that the President let him engage in negotiations in order to expedite the release of the kidnapped students.

The Islam teacher cautioned President Bola Tinubu not to make the same mistake as his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who turned down terrorists' requests for dialogue.

Idris stated that the government would pursue anyone it felt had issues to answer and that he was aware that Gumi had previously had reasons to be a guest of security personnel in order to respond to his remarks.

“What I can tell you is that the government will not stop at anything to get any kind of information that is required to solve our problems. The security agencies are up and doing. Sheikh Gumi, or any other individual for that matter, is not above the law. If you have suggestions that are constructive enough for the security agencies to take, they will take.

“But if they think that he is also making some statements that appear to be reckless, he will also be reprimanded. There is nobody that is above the law in this regard. And I'm aware, let me put it here, that I'm aware that he has also been a guest of the security agencies to answer questions.

“When you make remarks, especially remarks that border on national security, it is incumbent on the security agencies to dig further into that, and they are doing just that. No one is above the law in this direction,” he said.

Idris said that no ransom was paid for the release of the 17 Islamic school students who were abducted in Sokoto State and the 137 students who were abducted from Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State, who were freed on Saturday, March 23.

The minister claims that the president has promised to punish and fish out everyone engaged in the kidnapping, acknowledging the security services' contribution to the abductees' safe return.