The Tuesday visit of the controversial Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmmad Abubakar Gumi to some communities in the Okun- Yoruba speaking areas of Kogi State is raising serious apprehension and fears among the people.
Speaking with newsmen in Lokoja, a social critic and public commentator, Dr Shae Bebeyi raised his voice in support of Okun Development Association, the umbrella body of the Okun- Yoruba people, which condemned the visit of the cleric.
Gumi had visited Ayangan – community near Kabba in Kabba – Bunu local government area and some communities in Yagba land where he provided free medical outreach to some Fulani herdsmen whom he said have been long abandoned.
But speaking with newsmen on Saturday, Dr Shae Bebeyi said going by the antecedents of the controversial cleric who he said has been openly supporting bandits, he raised doubts whether the medical outreach was not a smokescreen to any other sinister move against the Okun Yoruba people which he said are very peaceful, love strangers and law abiding.
According to the social critic, “if Gumi truly meant well, why did he not pay a courtesy call on the traditional rulers of the affected communities or even alert them of his coming before the so called medical outreach and why must he single out the Fulanis or the herders for the outreach?
“Security agencies and Kogi State government must probe his visit, probe those funding the free medical outreach whether it has other ulterior motive because the peace loving locals where he visited and indeed the whole of Okunland are already frightened and in serious apprehension
“We must ask, why the sudden attention of Gumi to herders in Okun land. Are they the real Fulanis that have been living peacefully with the locals for years or are they fulanis from neighbouring countries? If yes, are they law abiding and why must the medical outreach take place at night and not day time?
“The people are asking that if Gumi is truly a cleric, why did he choose to discriminate against the very people who are the host of the Fulanis and herders whom he came to give free medical treatment and leaving out the locals, did he want to whip up sentiment by this action?
‘Why did Gumi change the names of the communities visited to that of Hausa- Fulani language? For example the name of the first community he visited is known for ages as Ayangan – Kabba but he charged it to Ardo Suberu. Is it a ploy to take their ancestral lands from them?
“Like the Okun Development Association has said, though Okun Yoruba people are peaceful, accommodating, law abiding and love strangers yet this should not be construed as cowardice, the people will resist any fulanisation agenda that Gumi may be spearheading,” he said.
Dr Bebeyi who is the chairman board of trustees, Chartered Institute of Development and Social Studies, also expressed surprise why the federal government has not arrested Gumi by now, saying his open support for bandits and kidnappers and his inflammatory statements are enough grounds to invite him for questioning.
“To me, it sounds so ridiculous and surprising that the same Federal government who is hunting for the head of Sunday Igboho for standing by his people who are being killed and raped daily is now pretending not to see what Gumi is doing around the country to support bandits. So where is the justice?” he asked.
