The Alliance for Oke-Ogun Development a socio-political group in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, has alleged that Sheik Ahmad Gumi’s recent visit to Igboho town, in Orelope Local Government of Oyo State, was an attempt to relocate fleeing terrorists that are being smoked out of the Northern Nigeria to Oke-Ogun.
The National Coordinator of the AOD, Chief Abiodun Fasasi, in a statement on Thursday said Gumi’s visit was a clandestine move by him and others with what he called ‘Fulanisation Agenda’ to make Oke-Ogun area another hotbed of crisis between the dwellers and the marauding herders.
The body raised concern over the recent video of the Islamic scholar in which he was seen in town and called on the Department of State Services to investigate Gumi and his hosts in the town.
The group claimed that the recent victory of the Nigerian Army over terrorists in the Northeast and other parts of the Northern Nigeria, necessitated the visit of Gumi and others to Oke-Ogun area and called on the traditional rulers in the region to be wary of insiders who are ready to sell out to terrorists.
The OAD also called on the federal government, especially the Department of State Services to invite Gumi and begin immediate investigation into the real reasons for their visitation to Oke-Ogun area.
The statement reads, “It is rather mindboggling to hear that Sheik Gumi and his co-travelers were in Igboho ,Oke-Ogun, Sheik Gumi is known all over the world as the harbinger, mastermind , mouthpiece ,solicitor and patron of bandits in Nigeria. To him, there’s nothing wrong with banditry, as a matter of fact, he sees it as a flourishing business.
“It is more disturbing that an indigene of Oke Ogun can willingly be a host to a personality like Gumi, we want the DSS to investigate the real reason for his visit and the host equally has to be investigated. This is a person consumed by his passion for banditry to the extent of drawing an analogy between banditry and Niger Delta militancy.
“As if that’s not enough, he is the one saddled with the responsibility of championing the course of amnesty for the bandits, he recently accused the Nigerian President of political gullibility for tackling the bandits, trivializing the military action ongoing in Zamfara known as festival of fire by tagging it unwise decision that no reasonable solution can come out of.
“Against the backdrop of the above, convincingly we now know better who Sheik Gumi is, having seen the handwriting on the wall as the military action is neutralizing, eliminating and destroying the bandits in their scores and as the bandits are fleeing the northern parts of the country especially Zamfara and its environs, it’s unacceptable for Gumi and his bandits to see Oke-Ogun, Oyo State as their haven.
“This will never be condoned, without mincing words, we can say Gumi has come as an advance party for the relocation of the bandits.
“The apex Sociopolitical group in Oke Ogun, Alliance For Oke Ogun Development, uses this medium to charge the Federal government, the Oyo State Chief Security Officer, Governor Seyi Makinde, to look into this case and nip in the bud any untoward actions that Sheik Gumi’s visit may cause our peaceful region.
“We also call on our traditional rulers and the entire people of the State to be at alert against individuals that are strangers and might portend danger to our wellbeing.”