Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, often known as Sheikh Gumi in Nigerian political and media circles, is an Islamic cleric, scholar, and former military commander who left the Nigeria Defense Academy with the rank of captain (NDA). He serves as mufassir and mufti at Kaduna’s main mosque, Sultan Bello.
Early Life and Education
Sheikh Gumi was born on October 1st, 1960 in Kano State, Nigeria, to the late Shaykh Abubakar Gumi, a well-known Islamic scholar and cleric. His father, the first Grand Khadi of the former Northern Region, comes from a family of Islamic intellectuals. Particularly under Sir Ahmadu Bello, his father played a significant role in converting Northern Nigeria to Islam.
After completing his senior secondary school at Sardauna Memorial College (SMC), Ahmad Gumi continued his studies by enrolling in the Nigeria Defence Academy after graduating from Ahmadu Bello University, where he studied medicine. He left the military after attaining the rank of Captain and relocated to Umm al-Qura University in Saudi Arabia to continue his Islamic studies there, where he studied Islamic Jurisprudence and Tafsir. He worked alongside Saud Al-Shuraim and Abdur-Rahman As-Sudais at the institution.
Career
Following his graduation from Ahmadu Bello University, where he had studied medicine and served as a medical officer before retiring as a captain, Sheikh Gumi was enlisted into the Nigeria Defence Academy. At Umm al-Qura University, where he studied Islamic Jurisprudence and Tafsir, he furthered his knowledge in Islam. He returned to Nigeria in order to practice as an Islamic cleric full-time.
Personal Life
He was raised by the late Shaykh Abubakar Gumi, the first Grand Khadi of the former Northern Region and a highly esteemed Islamic scholar and cleric. He is also married and has kids.
Controversy
Negotiation with Bandits
The former army captain’s peace missions to various bandit hideouts in Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara states resulted in the kidnapping of 27 students from a forestry college in Kaduna State, Nigeria, in March of last year. Additionally, he has participated in a number of additional partnerships.
Ahmad Gumi has been invited by the Department of Security Service (DSS) for questioning because of his relationships with the bandits in Nigeria. The academic had received criticism from many Nigerians, including the Buhari administration, for his opinions on bandits.
Bandits Advocacy
Ahmad Gumi used to enter the jungle and forest, reaching out to various bandits’ camps and hideouts, pleading with them to submit to Allah’s will and stop abducting or killing people for money ransom because Allah would forgive them if they repented. This was done in an effort to negotiate with kidnappers to lower their arms for a safe Nigeria.
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 on kidnappers.
Ahmad Gumi took part in a mission to promote peace in the state of Zamfara in February, which marked the start of this initiative. Since then, he has repeatedly traveled to preach in the states of Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger and begged robbers to stop killing civilians. He assisted in successfully securing the release of 27 Greenfield University students who had been abducted after knowing that their situation was serious.
After killing five of the students and releasing one after a ransom was paid, the kidnappers threatened to kill the remaining hostages if a ransom was not paid by Wednesday, the deadline for the ransom to be paid.
Ahmad Gumi also meets with numerous kidnappers to talk about the topic of people being kidnapped and to request their release. He talks with kidnappers in Niger State to discuss the situation with the Kagara pupils. He has frequently pleaded with kidnappers to down their weapons, submit to Allah’s will, and uphold the Nigerian Constitution. In order for Nigerians to live in peace and harmony free from difficult situations, he has also encouraged the Nigerian government to pardon and grant amnesty.
“If the country could pardon coup plotters who committed treasonable offences in the era of military administration, the bandits could as well enjoy similar forgiveness, even better under democratic rule.” — Ahmad Gumi, on kidnappers to the Nigerian Government.
A Staunch Buhari Critic
Sheikh Gumi has been vehement in his condemnation of the Buhari administration. Due to what he perceived to be his administration’s poor performance in 2019, the cleric called for President Muhammadu Buhari to resign. He also denied the assertion that he supported the ruling All Progressives Congress over the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government (APC).
Gumi asked the federal government to be mature in accepting criticism when Twitter was outlawed last year. He declared, “The Federal Government should act with more maturity; they are powerless against the media.” The Federal Government should be able to take criticism with a broad stance. They should not fight the media; platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and other social media have given people the opportunity to hear from both sides.
Sheikh Gumi Net Worth
His estimated net worth is unavailable.
