Gumi has been invited for interrogation, says minister

Gumi has been invited for interrogation, says minister

Controversial Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Ahmed Gumi, has been invited for questioning over his comments on the activities of bandits in the country.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists at the State House, Abuja.

Gumi has been pictured with some bandits on many occasions.

Before the release on Sunday of 137 kidnapped schoolchildren from Kuriga community in Kaduna, the cleric had reportedly offered to talk with the bandits who abducted the kids.

The bandits attacked the community on March 7 and took away the 137 schoolchildren and a teacher.

Gumi also accused the Federal Government of framing up its enemies by tagging them as terrorism financiers in his reaction to the identities of 15 entities released by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for alleged terrorism.

Some groups have also called on security agencies to arrest Gumi over what they described as the cleric’s alleged ties with terrorist groups.

Speaking on the development, the information minister said the security agencies would do their work if they feel that the statements made by Gumi were “reckless.

“The government will stop at nothing to get any kind of information that is required to solve our problems. The security agencies are up and doing,” Idris said.

“Sheik Gumi and any other individual are not above the law. If he has suggestions that are good enough and that are constructive enough for the security agencies to take, they will take.

“But if they think that he is also making some statements that appear to be reckless, he will also be reprimanded.

“There is nobody above the law. Let me put it here. And I’m aware that he has also been a guest of security agencies to answer questions.

“When you make remarks, especially those that border on our national security, it is incumbent on our national security to think further, and they are doing just that, no one is above the law.”