Abuja, March 25, 2025 – The Federal Government has invited Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, the Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, for questioning over his utterances on the spate of kidnappings in the North.
Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and Orientation, said this on Monday while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council Meeting in Abuja.
He said Gumi was not above the law and government had deemed it necessary to invite him for questioning.
Idris said he was aware that Gumi had had cause to be a guest of security agents to answer questions in the past, saying the government will not hesitate to go after anyone who it believes has questions to answer as no one is above the law.
“What I can tell you is that the government will not stop at anything to get any kind of information that it requires to solve our problems. The security agencies are and doing, Shiekh Gumi, or any other individual for that matter, is not above the law.
“If you have suggestions 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 that is above the law in this regard. And I’m aware, let me put it here, that I’m aware that he has also been a guest of the security agencies to answer questions.
“When you make remarks, especially remarks that border on national security, it is incumbent on the security agencies to dig further into that, and they are doing just that. No one is above the law in this direction”, he said.
The minister said no ransom was paid for the release of release of the 137 children kidnapped from the Kuriga community in Kaduna State.
“The Federal Executive Council and Mr. President are very grateful to especially the National Security Adviser, the service chiefs and all security agents who participated diligently in ensuring that these kidnapped children are reunited with their families.
“The government is determined to ensure that the lives and property of all Nigerians are protected at all time and Mr. President has also charged security agencies to ensure that these kidnappings are brought to a halt finally in this country.
“Indeed, all those who are participating in this criminal act will be fished out by the security agencies and will never go unpunished”, he said.
Idris said the number of those kidnapped was the exact number of people recovered as there was no information to the effect that any of them died or were held back by the kidnappers.
“There is no report that any of these kidnap victims either died or has been withheld, so, all those that have been taken, have been brought back in safety to their families. I can tell you that”, he said. (GBN)
