Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Leo  Irabor has described as ‘preposterous,’ an allegation by Islamic Cleric Ahmad Abubakar that  security agencies were conniving with bandits to perpetrate crime in the country..

Also, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) dismissed as ridiculous, Gumi’s   claim  that its members and  the  Eastern Security Network (ESN) kill Northerners.

Another group, the  Coalition   of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL)  hammered the cleric and called for his  immediate arrest and prosecution for openly encouraging banditry and kidnapping in the country.

The CDS, IPOB and COSEYL spoke separately in Ibadan, Oyo State and Owerri in Imo State yesterday.

Gumi had on Wednesday  told Arise News Morning Show that some soldiers were aiding bandits in criminal activities.

He also  said that unlike IPOB,  bandits were more interested in making money than in killing.

His allegation was immediately flayed by the Nigerian Army which cautioned him against comments that embolden bandits.

Although Irabor did not mention Gumi’s name in his comment, he admonished individuals that believe in connivance theory to have themselves checked.

“It is preposterous to think that the military and other security agencies at that are conniving with bandits. Do you connive with someone to take your life?”  the CDS said  while fielding questions from reporters.

The session was  after the opening session of the “Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) interaction with retired senior military officers in the Southwest” held at the Headquarters 2 Division, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan.

Irabor added that “anyone who is hallucinating with the idea that the military or other security agencies are conniving, I think he needs to have himself checked.”

He said  that the military was  interacting  with its retired officers  on  how to improve the campaign against terrorists, bandits and other criminals in the country.

His words: “The interaction is actually to allow us to rub minds together. They will equally speak to us as to what they observe that we need to do and also what we observe that we see them do in their various communities all in the hope of improving the state of peace across the country.

“We will after the Southwest geo-political zone meeting, also go to other geo-political zones. I think we can only leverage the wealth of experience that they have to be able to do this and I believe it will be better for every one of us at the end of the day.”

In Owerri, IPOB said in a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, that Gumi had become both the chief sponsor of bandits and their mouthpiece.

Powerful said in  the statement that neither IPOB nor ESN was a terrorist organisation or killers

He wondered what Gumi had in common with bandits and terrorists to always advocate for and negotiate  on their behalf   but never advanced the cause of victims of terror and banditry.

The statement reads in part, “The attention of IPOB   has been drawn to the latest ranting and ridiculous claims by terrorist apologist,  Gumi, that IPOB and  ESN, were killing Northerners. There is no iota of truth in such a mischievous and fallacious claim.

“In case the self-acclaimed Islamic cleric has forgotten, may we remind him that neither IPOB nor ESN is a terrorist organisation or Killers like his bandit clients and allies. Spilling of blood is never a part of our mandate.

“No Northerner in any part of Biafra land can prove that he/she has at any time been attacked by IPOB or ESN. We are only chasing terrorists and bandits behind killings and kidnapping for ransom in our land.

“Gumi should be ashamed that an Islamic cleric as he claims has suddenly become a mouthpiece for bandits and terrorists. Why does Gumi have a special interest in bandits and terrorists?

“Why is Gumi always advocating for terrorists and negotiating with them but never advanced the cause of victims of terror? What does Sheikh Gunmi have in common with bandits and terrorists?

“Gumi only wants to blackmail IPOB and ESN with his fabricated propaganda. He is alleging that we are attacking Northerners so as to provide more justification for his terrorists security agencies in Nigeria uniforms to come after innocent people as they are currently doing.

“This terror sympathiser wants to lessen the heat on his boys by instigating the security agencies against us. Can you see why Sheikh Gunmi should be arrested for investigations and interrogations?

“We want to put the world on notice that Sheikh Gumi is the main sponsor banditry and terrorism in Nigeria. He should be made to face the consequences of his actions. For holding talks with terrorists and championing their cause, he has a case to answer in the atrocities.”

Also, COSEYL  called for the  arrest and prosecution of  Gumi for openly supporting and encouraging banditry and kidnapping.

The coalition said Gumi comments  have  unmasked his  true identity   as “a hardened promoter of terrorism and  a wicked and barbaric cleric.”.

“No sane country will tolerate such heinous crime against humanity. Kidnapping school children is the most wicked and barbaric crime anyone can commit,”  COSEYL President-General Goodluck Ibem told reporters in Owerri.

He said: “Herdsmen, according to the Global Terror Index (GTI), are the world’s fourth most deadly terrorists. The GTI lists thousands of individual attacks that occurred in Nigeria where herdsmen deliberately kill or maim, or rape Nigerians.

“Sheikh Gumi is not a peace negotiator as he claims, he is rather a facilitator of terror.

“It is very unfortunate that our country Nigeria has been reduced to a level where kidnappers kill  schoolchildren and  security agents   are good people.”

“If Nigeria must move forward, terrorists and kidnapping activities must be brought to a halt.

“We demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of   Gumi for supporting and encouraging violent crimes and kidnapping in the country. The law is no respecter of persons. Kidnapping is a capital offence.

“If the Federal Government fails to arrest Gumi and his partners in crime, it will  confirm to all that they are working in synergy with the kidnappers, bandits and terrorists to cause insecurity so that elections will not hold  in  2023.”

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