Renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has suggested that Kaduna-based publisher, Mallam Tukur Mamu, should face consequences if proven guilty of terrorism allegations.
Mamu has been held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since being apprehended in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, in September 2022.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Mamu, along with 14 other individuals, had been identified as financiers of terrorism.
Gumi emphasized the need for the court to decide Mamu’s fate and criticized media trials and premature judgments. He described Mamu’s arrest as a misunderstanding and called for a fair trial.
“Mamu’s case is in the court. Let’s wait to hear from the court. It’s wrong to resort to media trial. Let’s wait for the court to state of he is a financier or not. I think if he is acquitted, he has a strong case to make on libel.
“Who declares someone a terrorist financer? Is it the court of law or a security agency? Security agency has no right to declare anyone a terrorist financer. The case is already in court, so why are they judging him on the pages of the newspaper? Once a case is in court, you allow the court to decide.”
When requested to vindicate himself due to some individuals already implicating him in the scandal, the Sheikh responded, “I am a public figure; many people come to me. The good, the bad, the ugly. As a preacher, I cannot send anybody away, no matter how bad. If you ask, especially pastors, armed robbers come to them and confess but they cannot still take them to the authorities. What I know of Mamu and his arrest is a misunderstanding between him and the committee that was supposed to deal with the release of some victims. But since the case is in court, we hope the court will be just to him. That is what we wanted all along; take him to court.
Instead of incarcerating someone and leveling phantom allegations against him. Bring your proofs, And if Mamu is found guilty, he should have full fledged punishment. But as of what I know, let’s wait for the court.”
