Ramadan Sermon: Release All Victims— Sheikh Gumi Begs Bandits
Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic cleric, has urged bandits wreaking havoc in the North-West and North-Central states to liberate all victims held captive.
According to Malam Salisu Hassan, Gumi’s media aide, the Sheikh confirmed this during his Ramadan Tafsir sermon at the Sultan Bello mosque in Kaduna State on Tuesday.
Hassan told newsmen on Thursday that he didn’t understand why the bandits continued to strike and kidnap more people despite the Sheikh’s appeal.
“Honestly, I don’t know. But Sheikh is aware. In his sermons, he always appeals to them to stop this kind of barbaric action that they are doing. About two days ago, he personally called on them to please release all those who were in their possession. He stated this at the Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna State, where he made his Ramadan Tafsir,” Hassan said.
Instead of releasing the captives with them, the bandits attacked a private university, Greenfield University, at Kasarami, off the Kaduna-Abuja Road in the Chikun Local Government Area, on Wednesday (LGA).
The bandits killed a member of the university’s team, Paul Ude Okafor, and abducted a number of students, according to reports.
On the same day, bandits attacked the Zazzaga group in Niger State’s Munya Local Government Area.
Bandits also overran a military base in the community, killing one civilian named Jacob Auta.
According to reports, a military vehicle was stolen during the assault on Wednesday around 4 p.m.
According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen raided the area on motorcycles, firing sporadically at the camp. During the assault, the camp was razed, and some military vehicles were also set ablaze.
Even though the soldiers were able to repel the assault, the bandits set fire to their belongings.
Bandits also killed five soldiers, members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and a civilian in an assault on a military base in the Shiroro LGA of the state two weeks ago.
Ten people were abducted, seven motorcycles were stolen, and military vehicles were burned down in an assault a few weeks ago in Shiroro council communities including Allawa, Manta, Gurmana, Bassa, and Kokki.
