Clock Ticks for University Students, As Gumi Asks CBN To Intervene

By Fola James

Negotiator and Islamic leader, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has warned the Federal Government to move fast by paying the N100 million ransom demanded by abductors of students of Greenfield University, Kaduna, before the students are slaughtered by the hoodlums. The cleric said the money should immediately be sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, pleading with other corporate organizations to wade in before the students are killed.

Five students of the private university had already been killed by the mean abductors.

The leader of the group, Sani Jalingo on Monday in an interview with the Voice of America, VOA also demanded 10 motorcycles for the students to be freed.

The deadline given by the kidnappers expired on Tuesday and parents are more devastated that their children are still in den of their abductors with no hope that they will be release soon and alive too. The kidnappers said the government needed to understand that they are serious on their threat to kill all the students if their demands are not met. But the Governor of Kduna State, Nasir El Rufai said his government will not pay ransom.

Gumi, who stated this in an interview with The PUNCH, said the Central Bank of Nigeria should pay the N100 million ransom being demanded by the kidnappers of the students.

According to him “The bandits still stand their ground of demanding N100m  and ten motorcycles;  no individual negotiation.

“We are calling on the government to do whatever it can to see to the release of our children. Our children have stayed long in the forest. We don’t know the state of their health at the moment. We don’t know whether they are being fed or how they are treated by the bandits.

“All that we can say now is for the government of the day, especially, the Federal Government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid. We can’t afford the N100m and the motorcycles demanded by the bandits.We are also calling on corporate organisations to come under their corporate social responsibilities to assist us to get our children out of the bandits’ den.”

Gumi, who spoke on a programme of the African Independent Television, Kakaaki,  said he needed the support of the Federal Government to rescue the students. The cleric said he has been making effort to establish contact with the kidnappers of the Federal College of Forestry who were kidnapped last month, but added that the abduction of the students of Greenfield University is complicated because they were kidnapped by elements linked with Boko Haram.

He said “As for the forestry students, we have been trying to see whether we can get some of the herdsmen’s contact so that they can release these people.

“We have also been trying our best but you know we have limitations, there are lots of obstacles on the way but the parents have been really consulting with us, The issue of the Greenfield students is a little bit more complex.

“There are two groups of bandits. We have the ordinary Fulani ethnic herdsmen and the religious elements, terrorists. That is why we have been telling the government to support us so that we can go in and bring the children out.

“The issue is getting compounded because this element is coming in; Boko Haram is coming into the scene now. They are the ones that captured Greenfield students. It is not a question of sleeping. You have to act very fast.”

FG should pay the N100 million ransom, the Islamic leader said, noting that to do otherwise means foolishness.

According to him, “ The money they are asking for is too much; if I give you that money, you cannot run away with it. Nobody can run. So, why not give them the money, they release the boys and then we pursue them and get our money back and do what is necessary; it is simple logic.  So, bring the money from the central bank. How can they move that money? We should not be stupid.

“These people are getting infiltrated; Boko Haram is getting close and they don’t respect the clergy. I need support to get them inoculated against the infiltration of these ideologies, whether Boko Haram or Ansaru, whatever it is. We need to shield them because they are naïve. If there is too much pressure on them, and they see help from Boko Haram, who are richer and have more weapons, it is going to consume everybody.”