Abductors Are Enemies Of State: A Note to Gumi
By Abdul Sule Last week or so, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi was in the news again. This time it was with utter shock that Nigerians greeted the return of the Sheikh to limelight after a seeming hiatus from the national scene. What was even more astounding was the relentless emotive absence with which he resurfaced from hibernation. Delightfully, he dared to lead in the negotiations he was hoping for, to facilitate the release of about 300 abductees, of whom over ninety percent were vulnerable Nigerian school children all between the ages 8-12. He based his critical argument around the notion that government is losing its war against the bandit abductors and, hence must dialogue them out of their hostilities. Gumi’s open reaffirmation of wanting to lead the negotiations while suggesting that such negotiations have become quite conventional evokes only nostalgic irritation. It sounded utterly abrasive yet again, coming from none other than himself, to say the least. This is because, in retrospe