Dialogue with Bandits: NEF Supports Gumi’s Mediation Efforts Amidst Abduction Crisis

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has thrown its weight behind the efforts of Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a prominent Muslim cleric based in Kaduna, to engage in dialogue with bandits responsible for the recent abduction of 287 students from Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna State.

The NEF believes that Gumi’s mediation could potentially lead to the safe release of the abducted schoolchildren and help prevent similar incidents in the future.

This comes in the wake of President Bola Tinubu‘s firm stance that no negotiation or ransom payment will be entertained for the abducted children, as declared by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, after a Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.

The Northern region, particularly states like Borno and Kaduna, has experienced a surge in insecurity, with incidents such as the abduction of 287 students from two schools in Kaduna and 200 internally displaced women from Borno occurring in less than 24 hours.

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi had appealed to President Bola Tinubu to allow him to negotiate with the bandits, cautioning against a repeat of the past administration’s stance, as former President Muhammadu Buhari had refused to engage in dialogue with terrorists.