Niger Delta Militants have warned an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, to desist from comparing them to bandits responsible for violent attacks in the Northern region of the country.
KanyiDaily recalls that Sheikh Gumi had alleged that bandits amd criminal herdsmen learnt kidnapping from the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).
The cleric said if the federal government could grant amnesty to ‘kidnapping’ militants, he doesn’t see any reason why the same gesture can’t be extended to bandits.
But in a statement on Tuesday, the coordinator of 21st Century Youths for Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience, Izon Ebi, slammed Sheikh Gumi for comparing bandits to Niger Delta militants.
He also berated the islamic cleric for justifying the criminal activities of the herders, warning that such statement is capable of igniting serious problems in the Niger Delta.
“We strongly condemn the provocative statement of Sheikh Gumi that is capable of igniting serious problem in the Niger Delta. It is disgusting, insulting and provocative to compare herdsmen to Niger Delta militants.
“It is a deliberate effort to justify the atrocities of the so-called Fulani mercenaries masquerading as bandits that were imported to dislodge former President Goodluck Jonathan from office. Nigerians know the truth and cannot be deceived by the antics of Sheikh Gumi.
“Nigerians are patiently watching the macabre dance of the Northern elite because of power. Amnesty to bandits will mark the end of the flow of oil and gas from our region,” he said.
KanyiDaily recalls that Sheikh Gumi had also said that those agitating for Biafra and Oduduwa Republics are nuisance just like Boko Haram terrorists.
