Ahmad Abubakar Gumi is an Islamic cleric, scholar and former military officer with the rank of captain in the Nigerian Army. He is the current Mufti and Mufassir at the Kaduna central mosque Sultan Bello.[1][2]
Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Born | 1 October 1960 |
| Religion | Islam |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Era | Modern era |
| Region | Northern Nigeria |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Maliki |
| Main interest(s) | Fiqh, Tafsir, and Tawhid, |
| Notable idea(s) | My Vote, My Pride in 2014 |
| Alma mater | Sardauna Memorial College (SMC), Ahmadu Bello University, Umm al-Qura University |
| Occupation | Medical Doctor Consultant, Islamic cleric, Teacher, and Mufassir |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced by | |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Nigeria |
| Service |  Nigerian Army |
| Rank |  Captain |
Early life
editAhmad Gumi is the eldest son to late Shaykh Abubakar Gumi.[3] He was born in Kano state. He came from a geneanalogy of islamic scholars with his father being the first Grand Khadi of the old Northern Region. His father was instrumental in the revivification of Islam in Northern Nigeria, particularly under Sir Ahmadu Bello.[4]
Education
editAhmad Gumi attended Sardauna Memorial College (SMC) for his senior secondary education. After secondary school he got admitted into the Ahmadu Bello University and after his graduation he was enlisted into the Nigeria Defence Academy. Gumi resigned from military service at the rank of Captain[5] and moved to Saudi Arabia to further his Islamic education at the Umm al-Qura University where he studied Islamic Jurisprudence and Tafsir.[6] His colleagues at the university included Abdur-Rahman As-Sudais, Saud Al-Shuraim. He also gives annual Ramadan Tafseer in Sultan Bello Mosque Unguwan sarki Kaduna.
Military career
editHe served in the Nigerian Army Medical Corp (NAMC) as a medical officer and he retired as a captain.
Bandits advocacy
editAs a result of insecurities all over Nigeria, Ahmad Gumi strive to negotiate with kidnappers to lower their arms for a safer Nigeria. He used to enter the jungle and forest reaching out to their various Bandits camps and hideout, dragging their attentions to submit to the will of Allah and not to keep on kidnapping or killing people for wealthy ransom, as Allah will grant them forgiveness if they repent.[7]
Kidnapping children from school is a lesser evil because in the end, you can negotiate and now bandits are very careful about human lives. Before, the mission of bandits was to go into a town, ransack it and kill people."
— Ahmad Gumi, Commenting kidnappers, [7]
This mission started on February when Ahmad Gumi attend a peace making mission in Zamfara State, Since that occasions, He has taken many preaching visits to Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states, urging bandits to stop attacking peoples.[7][8]
When he heard about the abduction of Greenfield University kidnapping, He have successfully lead to the release of 27 abducted students of Greenfield University, after he heard that the situation of the students is critical.[7] The kidnappers had previously killed five of the students and released one of them after a ransom was paid, they had threatened to kill the remaining hostages if a ransom was not paid before Wednesday as the expiration deadline.[7]
Ahmda Gumi also met different kidnappers for the issues of people abduction seeking for their freedom, He met kidnappers on the issue of Kagara students in Niger State.[9][10]
On different occasions, he called the attention of Kidnappers to drop their weapons by submitting to the will of Allah and to abide by the Nigerian Constitution, and to the Nigerian Government to pardon and grant amnesty for the seek of Nigerian people to live in peace and harmony without living in tension situations.
"If the country could pardon coup plotters who committed treasonable offences in the era of military administration, the bandits can as well enjoy similar forgiveness even better under democratic rule."
— Ahmad Gumi, on kidnappers to the Nigerian Government, [7]
Criticism
editOn Friday, June 25, 2021, the Department of Security Service (DSS) has invited the Ahmad Gumi for interrogation due to how he relate with the bandits across Nigeria for peace making.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Abin da na fada wa Atiku a Kaduna – Dr Ahmad Gumi". BBC News Hausa (in Hausa). 2018-07-04. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
- ^ Inyang, Ifreke (2012-08-15). "Kaduna Blast: "I am on the list of those targeted by terrorists" - Sheikh Gumi". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
- ^ "Log In - Oxford Islamic Studies Online". www.oxfordislamicstudies.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
- ^ "The Gumi Alternative". The Guardian.
- ^ "The sheikh, the ransom payments and the bandits". BBC News. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
- ^ "The sheikh, the ransom payments and the bandits". BBC News. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
- ^ a b c d e f "Sheikh Ahmad Gumi: The Nigerian cleric who negotiates with bandits". BBC News. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ^ "Sheik Ahmad Gumi's pro-bandit advocacy". Vanguard News. 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ^ "Sheikh Gumi meets kidnappers of kagara students". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ^ "Sheik Ahmad Gumi Archives". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ^ "Be careful what you do with Sheikh Gumi!". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2021-09-06.