A former Senator who represented Kaduna Central Shehu Sani has visited an Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi, asking him to help secure the release of students and members of Redeemed Christian Church separately kidnapped by bandits in the state.
Sani made this known via his Twitter handle @ShehuSani on Monday evening.
The Twitter post accompanied by a video showed the former Senator and Gumi having a discussion at the latter’s residence. They later shook hands and departed.
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“Earlier today in Kaduna, I visited the home of Sheikh Dr Ahmad Gumi where I appealed to him to help to secure the release of the 39 Afaka students and members of the RCCG (Redeemed Christian Church of God) and their Pastor who are still in the hands of bandits,” Sani wrote on his Twitter page.
This is coming days after gunmen kidnapped about eight pastors and members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Kaduna State.
The church members were kidnapped on Friday evening while on transit along the Kachia Road in the southern part of the Kaduna State by unknown gunmen.
Public relations officer of the RCGG Kaduna Province Alao Joseph had said the abductors had established contact and demanded N50 million ransom from the church.
“The church has contacted security agencies over the incident with the hope that they will help in securing the immediate rescue of the members,” Joseph said.
For over 17 days, 39 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, have remained in the kidnappers’ den.
The kidnappers of the students demanded N500 million from the government for the release of the students.
One of the fathers of the kidnapped students Ibrahim Shamaki was reported to have died from the anguish of his missing child.
Shamaki’s daughter was identified as Fatima Shamaki, one of the victims kidnapped by the armed gunmen now seeking ransom.
Parents and colleagues of the kidnapped students have also protested what they called ‘silence’ of the government over the release of the students.
Gumi is a controversial Islamic cleric who has called for support for bandits. He is severely criticised for his comments that seem empathetic with the bandits.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94