Popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has appealed to the Federal Government to instruct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay the N100 million ransom demanded by the abductors of the 17 Greenfield University, Kaduna students to avoid their killing.
Recall that bandits abducted 23 students of the institution on April 20.
Five of the students were found dead a few days later.
However, the abductors warned the Kaduna State Government and parents of the victims to cough out N100 million and 10 motorcycles as ransom by Tuesday, May 4 or risk their killing.
The ultimatum expired yesterday, and no word has been heard yet about the fate of the abductees.
Reacting on AIT’s Kakaaki programme on Tuesday, Sheikh Gumi advised the Federal Government to wade in to secure the students’ release.
He said, “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.”
Sheikh Gumi added that the Federal Government should instruct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release the money and later recover it once the students were released.
“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,” Sheikh Gumi said.