The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, has reacted to calls for the arrest of popular Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi over the recent bandits’ attacks in Kaduna State.
National President of AYCF, Yerima Shettima, said nobody has the right to arrest Gumi because he has done the best he can.
Speaking with DAILY POST, Shettima said Gumi’s effort while interfacing with bandits was being sabotaged and frustrated.
He insisted that those who diverted funds for the procurement of arms meant for security should be arrested, not Gumi.
Shettima vowed that the North would not allow anybody to arrest Gumi over the activities of bandits.
He said: “Why should anybody call for the arrest of Sheikh Gumi? What has he done? What is his offense? He has done his best to help the government, but the government pretends not to know he exists and refuses to give him support.
“The government refused to collaborate with him not because he is part of them but because of his position as an Islamic scholar. He has done what he can, and at a point, he realized that they were sabotaging and frustrating him, and he declined that he would not participate again. There is no reason to arrest him; nobody has the right to arrest him because he has done nothing.
“Those who should be arrested are those sabotaging and compromising our security. Those who should be arrested are those who diverted money allocated to him to buy weapons. We will not fold our arms and allow that nonsense to happen; what is his offense?”
Some Nigerians have been calling for the arrest of Gumi due to his access to bandits.
Bandits recently attacked the Kaduna International Airport and a train along the Kaduna-Abuja route.