“I’m not an advocate for bandits,” Gumi cries out, threatens legal action

By Hussaina Yakubu

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has described the reports attributed to him as advocating support for bandits as fake, manipulated and doctored by individuals and groups pursuing ethnic and sectional interests.

Gumi said this while dissociating himself statements and materials circulating online linking him with support for banditry in Nigeria.

He also warned that individuals or groups who he said are spreading falsehoods against him that they would face legal action if they don’t desist.

There have been calls for arrest of Gumi over support for bandits who have been responsible for mass abduction, killings and plunder, especially in rural communities across Nigeria.

In one of his recent interviews, Gumi was heard justifying demand for ransom by bandits for kidnapped victims.

He had reportedly said the bandits needed the money to restock their weapon stock.

One of those who called for the arrest of the Cleric was Abuja lawyer, Deji Adeyanju.

However, in a press statement issued in Kaduna on Saturday, Gumi claimed some of his media interviews, public lectures and comments on insecurity had been deliberately misrepresented by certain internet content creators seeking sensational headlines and online traffic.

“I hereby state unequivocally that any video clip, written statement, or message attributed to me, whether directly or by innuendo suggesting support for, justification of, protection of, or advocacy for banditry in Nigeria or anywhere else does not emanate from me,” he said.

The Islamic cleric reaffirmed his loyalty to Nigeria, describing the country as a nation with unmatched potential.

He urged the public, media organisations and government authorities to disregard any misleading materials being circulated in his name.

The cleric expressed hope that Nigeria would overcome its security challenges and that victims of violence across the country would find comfort in the collective resolve of Nigerians and the international community to end insecurity.

He attributed the persistence of insecurity to factors such as ignorance, poverty and widespread social injustice, while calling for lasting solutions to the crisis.

(NAN)