YORUBA socio-political group, Afenifere, has distanced its leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, from controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
The cleric had been holding talks with bandits hiding in forests in northern part of the country in a bid to ensure release of students abducted by the hoodlums in several states in the region.
Gumi also accused the military of colluding with the bandits terrorizing the citizens during an interview on Arise TV last month.
Some pictures of Adebanjo and the cleric standing together at a forum had recently surfaced on social media.
But the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, who reacted to the development in a statement, yesterday, insisted that the 93-year-old elder statesman has nothing to do with the cleric.
According to him, the pictures in question were taken during a trip to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s home in Abeokuta, Ogun State, before the 2019 presidential election.
He said the Afenifere leader had in a joint statement issued alongside the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; and Middle Belt Forum in February condemned Gumi for demanding amnesty for bandits.
The spokesman said Adebanjo was “never known to be in cahoots with any criminal or those who keep company with alleged criminals and bandits.”
The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to some pictures making the rounds in which the acting Leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, was alleged to be in company of Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, the Islamic preacher who is negotiating with kidnappers in the northern parts of Nigeria.
“As everyone knows, Chief Adebanjo, a lawyer, is not only a man of peace for whom human rights matter a lot, he is never known to be in cahoots with any criminal or those who keep company with alleged criminals and bandits.
“The pictures being circulated in which Adebanjo was seen in the same flight with Gumi and later in a handshake in the presence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo were taken in 2018 in the run-up to the presidential election that took place in 2019.
“It would be recalled that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar elicited the assistance of various important Nigerian personalities to help him secure the support of his former boss, Obasanjo, in his (Abubakar’s) bid to become the country’s President then. Those Atiku Abubakar approached for this purpose included Sokoto Catholic Archbishop Mathew Kukah; Bishop David Oyedepo, Founder of Living Faith Church and Senator Ben Bruce, among others.
“The picture taken in the plane was when the delegation was being flown to Abeokuta, Ogun State home of Chief Obasanjo. Chief Adebanjo was in the rear of the private jet of Atiku Abubakar that convened the team to Obasanjo’s home. Those on the same flight with Gumi and Chief Adebanjo included PDP Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.
“Thus, the pictures being circulated were taken over two years ago, long before kidnapping became this rampant and long before Gumi engaged in negotiating for bandits.
“As a matter of fact, it is on record that Chief Adebanjo condemned the present actions of Gumi as contained in the statement jointly issued by Adebanjo-led Afenifere, PANDEF, Ohanaeze and Middle Belt Forum among others, as reported by newspapers of February 28, 2021.”
