Popular Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay the N100m ransom demanded by kidnappers of the students of Greenfield University, Kaduna State.
Gumi, who stated this in an interview with Punch, said the kidnappers’ threats should not be taken lightly.
The cleric’s views came as parents of the students said the kidnappers were hell-bent on collecting N100m as ransom and nothing less.
A parent who spoke to the publication lamented that the bandits were still insisting on their demands and threatening to kill the students.
It will be recalled that one of the bandits, Sani Jalingo, who spoke with Voice of America, on Monday, demanded N100m and 10 motorcycles for the students to be freed.
Gumi, further lamented that his efforts, which had been yielding fruits, were not being appreciated by the government.
Gumi told the publication, “The money they are asking for is too much; if I give you that money, you cannot run away with it. Nobody can run. So, why not give them the money, they release the boys and then we pursue them and get our money back and do what is necessary; it is simple logic. So, bring the money from the central bank. How can they move that money? We should not be stupid.”
“These people are getting infiltrated; Boko Haram is getting close and they don’t respect the clergy. I need support to get them inoculated against the infiltration of these ideologies, whether Boko Haram or Ansaru, whatever it is. We need to shield them because they are naïve. If there is too much pressure on them, and they see help from Boko Haram, who are richer and have more weapons, it is going to consume everybody,” Gumi added.
