There were strong indications on Monday that a disagreement among bandits in Niger State was delaying the release of 27 students and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, who were abducted on Wednesday.
A top government source , who confided in The PUNCH , said the bandits, who carried out the abduction , had not agreed with the warlord government negotiated with .
There was controversy over the release of the abductees on Sunday. Earlier in the day , officials of the Niger State and security sources said the abductees had been released and were on their way to Minna , the state capital.
But later , the state Governor , Sani Bello, said the abductees were still in captivity .
The government source , who spoke to one of our correspondents, stated, “ There is a division among the bandits .
Those who carried out the abduction are being persuaded to release the abductees . ”
Also , a prominent Islamic cleric , Sheik Ahmad Gumi , who was involved in the negotiation for the release of the abductees , explained the delay in releasing them .
Gumi, in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday , said the bandits holding 42 pupils and 15 workers of the GSC Kagara were still being persuaded to release them .
While saying he could not tell when the victims would be released, Gumi said he was convinced they would be freed soon .
Gumi noted that talks were ongoing among the various factions of the bandits .
He said , “ I am sure they will be released . I am very sure of that. But we cannot say the particular day. We have lost contact with those people since we left there . But we hope that they will be convinced since they want peace and they are aspiring for it. I believe it will work out .
“ They are negotiating among themselves – the good and the bad . They are trying to convince them , and I believe they will do it. ”
Meanwhile, the Pan- Niger Delta Forum , the Ohanaeze Ndigbo , the pan – Yoruba socio -political group , Afenifere and the Middle Belt Forum on Monday berated Gumi , who on Sunday suggested that the amnesty he proposed for bandits should be extended to killer herdsmen in the South .
The groups, in separate interviews with The PUNCH , described the cleric ’ s proposal as outrageous, unfortunate and truly inconceivable .
Recall that Gumi, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Sunday , called for a blanket amnesty for everybody with guns, including bandits in the South .
But the National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Ken Robinson , said such a comment from an Islamic cleric was unfortunate and outrageous.
Robinson added , “ He is doing that in a country where at times wrong is considered right, and right looks wrong . PANDEF would want to say that nobody in his right frame of mind should be making these outrageous comments they have been making , calling for amnesty for bandits , criminals who , for no justifiable reason , have been destroying livelihoods, killing people, kidnapping innocent Nigerians and then making it a conduit to be collecting taxpayers’ money from the government .
“ It is absurd . In a sane clime , people like Gumi should be in prison for encouraging banditry and criminality .
“ But unfortunately, we find ourselves in a country where like I said earlier wrong looks right and right looks wrong, ” the PANDEF spokesman stated .
Also , the spokesman for Afenifere , Yinka Odumakin , in an interview with The PUNCH , said , “ It takes an enemy of Nigeria to be advocating amnesty for bandits and criminals at this point. We are sorting ourselves out as civilized Nigerians and bandits at this point. ”
The Igbo apex socio -cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo , described Gumi’ s comment as provocative and unbelievable .
The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze , Chief Alex Ogbonnia , who spoke to one of our correspondents on the telephone , said that it was even inconceivable for such a suggestion to come from a patriot.
He said “ I have not seen a country like this . It is unbelievable and truly inconceivable for a patriot to even come up with such a suggestion. ”
