Summon Gumi for hobnobbing with bandits, Christian youths tell DSS

The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria on Sunday said that they would mobilise to join the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, in appearing before the Department of State Services.

The President of YOWICAN, Belusochukwu Enwere, made this in a statement on Sunday, titled ‘We will mobilise Christian youths across the country to answer DSS invitation of Bishop Kukah’.

The group said Kukah was invited by the DSS for his comments on the state of the nation in which he slammed President Muhammadu Buhari.

It said the DSS should also invite popular Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, for questioning for “fraternising with bandits”.

Enwere said, “The attention of YOWICAN has been drawn to the purported invitation extended to Bishop Hassan Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese. Bishop Kukah committed no offence; rather the government should channel her energy in the fight to liberate the country from terrorists and bandits.

“Recently, more than 200 people were killed in Zamfara State and villagers displaced. This is disheartening indeed. We will mobilise all Christian youth across the country to honour this invitation.

“The DSS has extended her invitation to us, not Bishop Kukah, and we will honour it. The DSS should first invite Ahmad Gumi for questioning for interfacing with bandits.

“Controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has advised people in the terrorised North-West of Nigeria on how they can live in peace with the armed bandits occupying their forests.”

YOWICAN quoted Gumi as saying that people could develop “mutual relationship with the bandits without being harmed”.

According to Enwere, Gumi has been “fraternising with the bandits and he has been working freely without any invitation from the DSS or police”.

He said, “The DSS has invited Bishop Matthew Kukah for questioning, days after the prominent Catholic priest ramped up his criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to curb nationwide insecurity.

“Bishop Kukah had slammed President Buhari in his Christmas sermon, saying the Nigerian leader has failed to show competence as terrorists, bandits and other violent criminals embark on a coordinated and relentless rampage across the country.”