Did Gumi’s Intervention Aid the Release of Niger Passengers, Others?
It is not yet clear if the swift intervention by a renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, is one of the factors responsible for the release of passengers and others who were kidnapped in Niger State last week
PRNigeria gathered that a team of security personnel brought the kidnapped victims from the bush after about a week in captivity. It is not yet clear if the victims were rescued by security services or freed by the armed bandits.
Armed bandits abducted the passengers along the Minna-Zungeru Road on their way to Minna, the state capital.
A video that circulated on social media showed the passengers in the captivity of the bandits who brandished dangerous weapons including a rocket-propelled grenade.
However, the Niger State Government, earlier today, said that it has secured the release of all the kidnapped passengers.
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This was made known in a tweet, which was corroborated on Twitter by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello.
“We are pleased to announce to the general public the release of the NSTA passengers abducted a week ago while returning to Minna along the Minna-Zungeru road,” he tweeted on Sunday.
On what necessitated the passengers’ regaining their freedom, a military intelligence officer, maintained that the bandits’ decision to be placated by Sheikh Gumi may have been the magic wand.
Recalled that bandits terrorizing some Local Government Areas and communities in Niger State, promised to release all the kidnapped victims in their captivity, within the State.
This followed a ‘mediation parley’ between them and Gumi.
Notorious kidnapping warlords such as Dogon Gida, Kachalla, and others, it was gathered, attended the reconciliation forum with Gumi, on Thursday.
They expressed willingness to part of any deradicalization exercise or programme that the government will unveil for their repentant ‘boys’.
By PRNigeria
