His earlier statements – Daily Trust

In an interview published in Daily Trust of September 11, 2010, Gumi linked his arrest to security reports sent to Saudi authorities by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. When asked to give explanation on the statement issued after his release, stating that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was behind your detention, he said, “I didn’t say Obasanjo specifically. I said the regime was behind my ordeal. They used state security apparatus to do that. Over time they were sending security reports about me not only to the Saudi Arabian government but to other countries for God-knows-what reason. I had many encounters with security agencies during that regime.

“There was a time security agents came and accused me of holding meetings by 3 am. I don’t know how that constitutes a crime. I think the problem started during the third term bid of Obasanjo. Some of us were against it and we never hid our feelings over the matter.  I think it was from then on that the security agencies started to compile reports about me, which they were sending to Saudi Arabia and other countries. It is unfortunate how state security apparatuses are used unjustly to hound innocent and law-abiding citizens.”

On whether the federal government was behind his release as it coincided with the visit of the then Vice- President Namadi Sambo to Saudi Arabia, he said, “I will say many individuals in the government played different roles to have me released. Many things combined together for my eventual release.  But above all these, I think the prayers of the good people of Nigeria have gone a long way to see me out of detention.  You know that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy and it takes an average of six months to complete an investigation because of so many processes. After the investigation, it may still take you some time before you are charged to court or released.

SPONSOR AD

“But Alhamdulillah I was treated very well by the Saudi authorities while in custody. In fact, officials were nice to me. They encouraged me to be patient and strong. They always assured me that I will soon be released since nothing was found against me. At this juncture, I want to say that the facilities are some of the best in the world. They have made life easy for inmates in terms of infrastructure and social amenities. Human beings are treated like human beings, even while in prison. I have visited prisons in Nigeria. It is simply incomparable. Our prisons are not even fit for animal habitation.  I urge our leaders to visit Nigerian prisons and see things for themselves. Let them have a firsthand experience of the state of rot in the Nigerian prisons.

Asked if it was it true that part of the conditions for his release included compulsory relocation to Nigeria, the Mufti and Mufassir at the Kaduna central Sultan Bello mosque replied, “No. That is not true. After their investigation, I was not found guilty. There was no case against me. I have not committed any crime. Why should I be asked to relocate? I have no connection to terrorism. I preach unity. Though I learnt that some people said I called for the killing of Shiites. I never called for the killing of Shiites. I was only against the blocking of roads while they are demonstrating, because it is wrong.  Other people also have the right to use the road too. I said Islam even encourages us to remove harmful things from the road. So, why should you block the road in the name of demonstration? Some members of the public may need to use the road because of emergency.

“I am against radicalism but I know that a lot of people have prejudices against me.  Much as we may despise the West, there is something good about them. Some of these Western countries are freer and safer compared to the dictatorial tendencies of some Muslim countries. We don’t need to carry swords against anybody, even Israel. If we correct and conduct ourselves according to the teachings of the Qur’an, nobody can harm us,” he said.