A well-known Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has publicly challenged the Federal Government’s recent disclosure of individuals and organizations suspected of funding terrorist activities within Nigeria.
The revelation came after the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit sent out a communication titled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024,” which identified 15 suspects, comprising nine people and six currency exchange businesses.
On March 18, 2024, the Nigeria Sanctions Committee convened to endorse sanctions against certain individuals and groups implicated in the financing of terrorism. Among those listed was Tukur Mamu, a publisher from Kaduna and an associate of Gumi, who is under trial for purportedly facilitating the terrorists responsible for the Abuja-Kaduna train assault in March 2022.
The report alleges that Mamu was involved in “participated in the financing of terrorism by receiving and delivering ransom payments over the sum of $200,000 US in support of ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.”
However, Gumi criticized the list during a Twitter space hosted by Daily Trust, asserting that security forces lack the authority to designate someone as a financier of terrorism. He argued that it is implausible for Nigerians to fund terrorism, suggesting instead that the terrorists self-finance through ransoms obtained from abducting citizens.
Gumi also commented on Mamu’s situation, stating that any punishment should come after a legal verdict. He questioned the role of security agencies in labeling individuals as terrorist financiers, emphasizing that such matters should be left to the judiciary.
Recently, Gumi expressed his willingness to negotiate with bandits responsible for the abduction of nearly 287 students from educational institutions in Chikun Local Government Area, provided President Bola Tinubu allows him to do so. He advised against repeating the previous administration’s refusal to engage in dialogue with bandits.
