Boko Haram - staking on the Sheik Gunmi's imperative
Like a scion off the old block, Sheik Ahmad Gunmi is livÂing up to his
billing. The son of the late Sheik Abubakar Gumi has never left anyone
in doubt of his pedigree as it concerns speakÂing out on issues of
local, national and international importance. Be it calling on the front
runners in the last presidential elections to step aside on account of
their polarizing aptitudes, alleging that the Igbo were taking over the
Nigerian Army, seeÂing a Christian president’s pilgrimÂage to
Jerusalem as an insult to MusÂlims or accusing the United States of
America of being behind the Boko Haram scourge.
It is in this light that all should see his recent diversion that the
perÂsisting mayhem by the Boko Haram in the North East is one hundred
per cent a Muslim problem. Accusing some people in the North of
‘coopÂerating with and working to protect them’, he charged Muslim
leaders to do more to combat the group and their menace. According to
him, once it is understood that these peoÂple are amongst them, it can
better be appreciated that they were not doÂing enough to bring them
out.
In classical examples, he posited the impossibility of them carrying out
their mayhem elsewhere other than the north; or the Independent People
of Biafra (IPOB) carrying on anywhere else than their South East base.
If they, so ventured, he asserted, they would no sooner be rounded up
and prosecuted.
As drastic as it may seem, the call rings true following the turnout of
events at the Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba judicial panel of inquiry set
up by the Kaduna State governÂment to probe the clash between
eleÂments of the Nigerian Army and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria
(IMN) led by el-Zakzakky. Like it is turning out, the entire people of
Zaria where the incident took place are turning out en masse to expose
the evils beÂing perpetrated by the sect before the incident.
According to the leader of the Zazzau Emirate Development AsÂsociation
(ZEDA) for instance, the group had hitherto constituted itself into a
menace terrorizing the good people of the city without let. He saw the
opportunity provided by the panÂel as time to expose their atrocities.
Other clerics, scholars and citizens were to echo the same feeling.
The Gunmi position becomes even more persuasive when it is reÂcalled
that just as a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Azubike
IheÂjirika was making inroads into the deÂcapitation of the Boko Haram
group, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) had through its head, Professor
Ango Abdullahi threatened to sue the army for extra-judicial killings
‘in Bama and the act of strangulating civilians in Giwa Barracks using
underground detention centres while depositing corpses in hospitals’.
By him, the foÂrum had in their resolution hoped to harmonize the
reports preparatory to filing the case at the International Criminal
Court (ICC).
As expected, the move had served to polarise the country like never
beÂfore. In fact, had the Arewa ConsultaÂtive Forum (ACF) not followed
it up with their own statement to the effect that they were not in
agreement with the plan on account of their having no facts on ground to
substantiate the claim, no one could have guessed the outcome that
would have resulted from the NEF threat.
It was, indeed, most worrisome for according to keen observers of the
ups and downs of the Boko Haram at no other time previously had inroads
been made at curtailing the rampagÂing terrorists than then. They
claimed that had the situation been sustained, it would have seen the
insurgents reÂduced to less than a fighting force earÂlier than was
later achieved.
Interestingly, in the earlier call on both then President Goodluck
Jonathan and his challenger General Muhammadu Buhari to refrain from
their ambitions, Gunmi had insisted that the nation as at then needed
peace and stability more than good governance. In the curious arguÂment
he raised to support the claim, he had insisted that both principals
were at either end of two polarities that sought to divide the country
on religious lines; an accusation the purported action of the NEF was
not very far from.
In earlier sermons and positions, Sheik Gunmi had also never refrained
from pointing out that those behind the Boko Haram mask were always
intent at emphasizing this division. He aligned his argument on the fact
that they had variously planted letters – a different one to each
zone – intent at setting one up against the other. He also pointed to
their bombing of alternative places of worship as clear illustrations of
their subversive intent.
All said and done, therefore, it is our observation here at The
AuthorÂity that inasmuch as there is no moÂnopoly of solutions to any
problem in any one being what we owe as contriÂbutions from any corner
is due conÂsideration. The people in whose terÂritory any wrong is
being perpetrated in any guise owes the security operaÂtives nothing
other than making seÂrious efforts at giving them informaÂtion that
will lead to the solution of the problem. All the more so if it has
persisted to a point as annoying as the Boko Haram insurgency.
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