Sheik Ahmad Gumi, a controversial Islamic cleric, does not agree with the Federal Government's recent list of people linked to terrorism financing in the country.
The PUNCH reported that the Federal Government uncovered the identity of 15 entities, including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change operators and firms, allegedly involved in terrorism financing.
Details of the development were disclosed by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, in an email sent to our correspondent on Tuesday night, entitled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024.”
The document revealed that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee met on March 18, 2024, where specific individuals and entities were recommended for sanction following their involvement in terrorism financing.
At the top of the list of individuals named in the document was Gumi's friend and Kaduna-based publisher, Tukur Mamu, who is currently on trial by the Federal Government for allegedly assisting the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022.
According to the document, Mamu “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.”
But responding to the development on Twitter spaces organized by Daily Trust on Wednesday, Gumi, who criticized the list, explained that the security agencies had no right to label anyone a terrorist financier.
He claimed that no Nigerian would fund terrorism, adding that the terrorists are funding their operations with money obtained from ransom collected from kidnapped victims’ families.
“No Nigerian will put their money into terrorism, we’re beyond that. These people are funding themselves by taking our children for ransom.
“So, how can we say some people are financing terrorism because there is a misunderstanding between them?” the cleric said.
He added, “Now they are looking for N1 billion for these children (kidnap victims) to be released. They (terrorists) financed themselves by kidnapping. I think it’s nonsense to just frame your political opponents as financing terrorism.”
Speaking about Manu, Gumi said the troubled publisher should be punished if found guilty by a court of law and public opinion.
“Mamu’s case is in the court. Let’s wait to hear from the court. It’s wrong to rely on media trial. Let’s wait for the court to determine if he is a financier or not. I think if he is acquitted, he has a strong case to make on libel.
“Who declares someone a terrorist financer? Is it the court of law or a security agency? The security agency has no right to declare anyone a terrorist financier. The case is already in court, so why are they judging him in the newspapers? Once a case is in court, you allow the court to decide,” he added.
The PUNCH reports that Gumi had recently disclosed his intention to have discussions with bandits who kidnapped about 287 schoolchildren from Kuriga Government Secondary and LEA Primary Schools in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
Gumi mentioned this in an attempt to help release the kidnapped schoolchildren if President Bola Tinubu allows him to negotiate.
The well-known Islamic scholar stated that Tinubu should not make the same mistake as former President Muhammadu Buhari, who refused to talk with bandits.
Bandits had invaded In the Kuriga area of the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, attackers shot at their victims and then took at least 280 pupils and teachers from both schools.
