Kidnappings: Sheikh Gumi visits another strategic Fulani bush at Rugan Mallam Saleh

IGP Adamu pledges more support

 …Gov Buni commends Sheikh Gumi, promises personal support

 …JNI, Emirs are 100% with Gumi- Sultan Sa’ad

…As Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi sends representative, applauded Gumi

By Maryam Musa 

In continuation of his efforts to preach, pacify and educate mostly the Fulani herders, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi has visited yet another strategic bush at Rugan Mallam Saleh in Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna. 
For Dr. Gumi, the visit on Saturday, 30th January, 2021 to Rugan Mallam Saleh is not only strategic but crucial and timely in view of the enormous security challenges associated with rampant instances of armed banditry and kidnappings mostly being perpetrated by frustrated Fulani herdsmen.

Sheikh Gumi believes that the need to provide quality education to the herdsmen more especially Islamic education in view of the alarming rate of ignorance amongst them must be an emergency and a top priority for government and other well meaning individuals. 
The selection of Rugan Mallam Saleh for Saturday’s peace mission, interaction and preaching session is because of the decades history of the area and how most of the places are being used by the armed Fulani militias as recruitment centre for vulnerable Fulanis to engage mostly in kidnappings and armed banditry. 

DESERT HERALD reports that Sheikh Gumi’s entourage drive through the bush for about 25 kilometers before reaching the bush at Rugan Mallam Saleh, the venue of the event. The new express road leading to Rugan Mallam Saleh along the Millennium City, Kaduna is completely without movement of vehicles since the journey began because of incessant cases of bandits attacks and kidnappings in the road. But Gumi’s entourage with the support of police escorts defied the risk.

DESERT HERALD and a TV station are the only media organisations that joined Sheikh Gumi to embark on the risky journey. 

As the peace mission continue to record success and commitment by some of the armed Fulanis to disengaged from crime while their grievances are being attended to by Sheikh Gumi, demands by several Fulani communities for Sheikh Gumi to expand his preaching and peace mission to other states because of the confidence they have in him is increasing by the day.
At Rugan Mallam Saleh, the stories of many years of neglect and absence of virtually every basic necessities of life including education, water for both human and animal consumption, school etc was lamented by almost all the speakers and most of the young men in attendance. A call was made by almost all the speakers to the armed Fulanis to give peace a chance, to surrender their arms and give Sheikh Gumi the benefits of doubt as he expands discourse with the state and federal government. 

For the peace and preaching mission to succeed, Sheikh Gumi during the visit has reiterated that bringing or propagating sectarian differences among the Ulamas that used to attend will not be tolerated as that will only create confusion to a largely ignorant society and people.

He emphasized that the basics of Islamic knowledge, putting them on contemporary books like Ahdari, Iziya, Risala etc which is accepted by both the Sunni, Tarika, Tijjaniya, Shiites etc is what the Fulanis want and not promoting a particular sect. Sheikh Gumi urged the Fulanis to cooperate with the Islamic teachers that will be deployed from time to time and encourages them to know the Tauhid and obey Allah’s commands as the only way that will guide their heart against committing any evil. 

During his interaction with the herdsmen, Sheikh Gumi advised them to form a local security committee that will monitor the conduct of their fellow Fulanis and to always provide local intelligence on any suspicious activity. He assured them that he will contact well meaning individuals as well as government to assist them with water, school, Mosque and clinic. Sheikh Gumi encouraged all those that are willing to invest for the sake of Allah to approach the foundation under him so that opportunity will be given to them to do whatever they choose to execute out of the priority projects directly.

He boldly told the herdsmen that used to engage in any criminal act to fear Allah as according to him Allah will never bless anything they got or acquired through criminal acts or the blood of their fellow human beings whether Muslimor Christian victims . 
The Chief Imam of Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna, Dr Muhammad Suleiman Adam during the preaching session has delivered the message of the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar and that of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu. Dr. Suleiman said he is with the Sultan and the IGP in Abuja on Thursday. He said Sultan Sa’ad has sent him to assure Sheikh Gumi that the Jamaatu Nasrul Islam, JNI under him as well as all the northern emirs are with him 100 percent on the Nobel mission of educating the Fulanis about their religion and engaging them against committing any act that will disrupt peace and security,  or harm innocent people. Sultan Sa’ad said as the peace and preaching mission continues he will one day be with Sheikh Gumi to visit the bushes. 

The IGP has also sent similar message through the Chief Imam. IGP Adamu said the police under him will continue to support the sacrifice and efforts of Sheikh Gumi towards lasting peace and security in the country. He also promised to be in the entourage one day to personally assess situations. 

Yobe state governor and chairman of the Governing APC, Mai Mala Buni is also full of praises for the initiative. He told DESERT HERALD that he is overwhelmed by the success of Gumi’s peace mission and ongoing efforts to educate the Fulani herdsmen. Buni said educating them is the key to ending acts of criminality among them and that he will always be glad to be part of any genuine initiative and to offer personal support and contribution to ensure a crime free society.  He said Sheikh Gumi’s initiative will go along way in complimenting the huge efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to rid the nation from insecurity particularly armed banditry and kidnappings. 

Saturday’s peace and preaching mission was also attended by Sheikh Sanusi Khutama, a representative of Sheikh Usman Dahiru Bauchi. Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi had praised the foresight of Sheikh Gumi and said he had personally wished to be part of such historic initiative if not for old age. He called on Fulani militias to surrender their arms, stop any acts of banditry and give peace a chance and call on government to support the carrot approach of Sheikh Gumi as according to him the use of force alone will never solve the kind of security challenges in northern Nigeria. 

In attendance were the publisher of DESERT HERALD, Mallam Tukur Mamu (Dan-Iyan Fika), a Fulani leader, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, Dagacin Doka etc.