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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Parents of the abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna have apologised to the respected Islamic Scholar, Sheikh (Dr) Ahmed Gumi over what they called false indictment in an interview granted by one of the parents of the students in captivity.
The parent had in the said interview linked Sheikh Gumi to have collected a payment of N800,000. 00 for a Fulani man to help in negotiation with the bandits.
However, chairman and Secretary of the committee of parents of the abducted students, Abdullahi Usman and Catherine Saleh have in a statement made available to newsmen, apologised to Sheikh Gumi.
After 10 out the 39 students were released in batches of 5 each some weeks ago, 29 of them are still in captivity for over 57 days.
“The attention of the parents of the 39 abducted Afaka students has been drawn to a screaming headline in today’s (May 5, 2021) publication of Roots TV to the effect that one of us, who spoke to them in a live interview, claimed that we, the parents of the abducted students, contributed and paid the sum of N800,000 naira to a Fulani man through Sheikh Gumi for the release of our children.
“We wish to state in clear terms that the claim has no basis of fact. Though the woman in the said video has a child in captivity, but her claim is untrue. The woman is not a member of the committee representing the affected parents and did not speak on behalf of the parents.
“To be sure, the Forum of the Abducted Parents has never gathered money and given to Gumi or to someone through the revered Islamic scholar at anytime. We therefore dissociate ourselves from the statement. The committee considers the statement as unfortunate and an unnecessary distraction from its commitment to secure the release of their children who have now spent 56 days in captivity.
“For the record, the committee representing the Forum of Parents of the 39 Abducted Students visited the home of Sheikh Gumi to seek his intervention for the release of our children but he declined, on the grounds that as a law abiding citizen he would not want to go against the position of the state government which has forbidden anyone to negotiate with bandits.
“We apologise to the esteemed Sheikh for any personal injury the statement might have caused him.
“Again we call on all to join their voices in calling on government at state and Federal levels to work extra hard to ensure the safe release of our children so that they may be reunited with their families.
“While we await God’s intervention for the release of our children, we call on all people of goodwill to join us in prayers as we continue to seek God’s help for the release of our children” the parents appealed.
It would be recalled that the parents had taken their peaceful protest to the National Assembly (NASS) during which the said parent had granted the interview in Abuja.
