By Suleiman Umaru
Sheikh Gumi, an Islamic Cleric and self –appointed Negotiator between the Bandits staying in Nigerian and the government both at the state and Federal levels and Tukur Mamu, his Media Aide have much information to divulge to the Security and Intelligence agencies about the Terrorists staying in Nigerian forests to carry out their nefarious activities since 2011.
Recall Mohammed Bazoum, the Niger Republic Republic, had told Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara state who is actually feeling the pinch of the Bandits activities, in 2021, that the Bandits which had entered the country from Madawa and Bayan Dutsi regions, and subsequently spread to Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina and Niger, Ibrahim Babangida, a retired Army General and former military President home state through the country’s Marahdi region to carry out their Criminal activities.
Barely 100 days, after the Ansaru Group, a splinter Group of the Borno state based Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, with their Bandits Collaborators attacked an A buja-Kaduna Passenger Train and abducted 64 Passengers and killed eight others, Mamu, Sheikh Gumi, media Aide may have shocked Nigerians with his revelation.
He had said that there is a military checkpoint before penetrating the forest where the Bandits are staying in the Kaduna state. He could have such information at his fingertips because the Terrorists had released Abdullahi Sadiq Ango, the son of Ango Abdullahi, a Professor and Chairman , Northern Elders Forum, NEF, who incidentally was a former Vice Chancellor of University of Zaria, and six others, including a Pakistanian in their custody, leaving several others awaiting to be released.
He had claimed to have ‘’single handedly facilitated and initiated the release of the seven kidnapped Abuja –Kaduna bound , the Islamic Cleric’’. Train Passengers based on dialogue and Negotiation with the terrorists with the support of Sheikh Gumi.
Giving an insider information on the location the Anasaru terrorists and their Bandits Group Collaborators gave to his Team to evacuate the released abducted Abuja-Kaduna Train released, he described it Passengers as ‘’remote, sensitive and risky’’, noting that the Team had travelled over 40 Kms in the thick forest with a’’ military escort back to Kaduna at the checkpoint’’.
Sheikh Gumi, Media Aide appears to have given a clue to Lt. Gen.Farouk Yahaya , Chief of Army Staff , CoAS and Air Marshall Isiaka Olayinka Amao, Chief of Air Staff, CAS, on how to locate the criminal elements in the Kaduna forests by going the agreed location and coming out successful with seven released Passengers. His worries was the unnecessary checks by the military unit at the skirts of Kaduna when the Terrorist have their normal exit route of evacuating their victims to the forest.
Based on his Team Negotiations with the terrorists and findings to facilitate the release of the seven Abuja-Kaduna Train passengers, sheikh Gumi Media Aide may have come to the conclusion that only through ‘’the power of Negotiations that the security challenges facing the country could be successfully addressed’’. He was emphatic that the Federal Government has the power ‘’to end the agony of those Abuja-Kaduna Train Passengers still in the custody of the terrorists in one day without exchange of bullet’’ with the security operatives.
INote that prior to the attack on the Nigerian Correctional Centre, NCS, facility, at Kuje, outskirts of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Tuesday, July 6, 2022, by ISWAP terrorists, who had responsibility for the attack, Mamu, Sheikh Gumi, Media Aide disclosed that he shared intelligence with the Authorities about the planned attack.
He had said that he divulged the information to the relevant security agencies of plans by the Ansaru Terrorists which had attacked and abducted 64 Passengers of the Abuja-Kaduna bound Train on March 28, 2022. He could volunteer the information because the Terrorist Group were said to have given indications of imminent attacks on the Kuje Custodial centre. He had revealed
that he Group had requested of the release of 51 of their members in the Kuje Prison , which he was able to to scale down the number to 10 and Communicated same to the relevant Authorities but they failed to act.
He noted that Lucky Irabor, an Army General and Chief of Defence Staff. CDS, had constituted a Committee to look into it but that was how far he could go. According to him the delay by the security and Intelligence agencies to acti may have encouraged them as the information had leaked about the planned attack of the Kuje Custodial centre to strike releasing the 64 of their members in the Kuje Custodial centre two days later. This is an indications that Kaduna based Islamic Cleric Media Aide has an insder information about the activities of the Terrorists because of their close relationship.
It was not surprising why he had said that ‘’military solution is not the best approach to solve the current security debacle in Nigeria’’. He was said to have told those that cares to listen both at the official and unofficial quarters that he has sufficient evidence ‘’to show that they do listen’’.
Given Mamu, Sheikh Gumi ‘s Media Aide claims that the terrorists do listen, Nigerians would want them to demonstrate it and stop wreaking havoc in the country and cue into President Muhammadu Buhari appeals that he hopes that they will relise ‘’ the nation’s problem is to be productive’’.
The high level of insecurity in the country in the country may have informed why security was tightened up at Daura, Buhari home town during Eid Kabir Festival to avoid giving room to the Bandits who had attacked the Aadvance Team of security guards and State House Correspondents heading to the President Town at Dutsinma from gaining access to the Eid Kabir Prayer ground to strike.
Security Operatives were said to have been drawn Army, Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Service, DSS, Nigeria Security and Defence Corps, NSDC and other security agencies to patrol the Prayer ground to ensure maximum security for the Katsina state born Nigerian President, his entourage and other Worshippers attending the Eid Prayer.
Meanwhile, one Hassan Hassan, the number 12, in the 69, who escaped the Kuje Custodial centre, declared wanted, and whose identities have been circulated to the various security and intelligence agencies acros the country, was said to have been arrested by eagle eyed police men in Nasarawa, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, All Progressive Congress, APC, National Chairman home state, giving hope that othes will be captured as well.
