Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a popular Islamic scholar, has described people agitating for Biafra, Oduduwa and Arewa republics as same as Boko Haram terrorists.
Gumi spoke in an interview with BBC Pidgin on Saturday in response to the growing calls, majorly by youths in different regions, for Nigeria to be divided.
The cleric said it would be wrong for anyone to say “Nigerians want the country divided because of the activities of some miscreants”.
He said that what the majority of Nigerians want is a united country.
“I usually give an example of General Murtala Mohammed, the former head of state from Kano that was assassinated by the Buka Suka Dimka-led group.
“He married a Yoruba wife. So, where do you want his children to go if the nation is divided?
“Are they going to be with the Yorubas or Hausas in the North?
“Look, let’s forget these useless youths. They’re no more different from these herdsmen.
“These people agitating for Oduduwa, Biafra or Arewa are all the same group of people with Boko Haram.
“Majority of Nigerians want to stay with Nigeria. And if they are in doubt, let’s conduct a referendum.
“Look at elections for instance, millions of votes from all the states, whether from APC or PDP.
“This means that Nigerians are ready to stay with a united Nigeria. That is an indirect referendum which shows that the people are ready.
“So, all these youths that are making noise, whether Abubakar Shekau of Boko Haram, Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB and their Oduduwa counterpart, they are just a tiny minority of Nigerians using ethnic, archaic and retrogressive sentiments to destabilise the nation.
“But l can vouch that Nigerians really want to stay together in peace. But in peace and equity. Not any segment of Nigeria is cheated,” he said.
Speaking further, Gumi argued that the refusal of Igbo and Yoruba leaders to endorse the demand for secession by some youths in their regions remained a clear indication that the demands of the agitators “are unpopular and championed by few disgruntled persons”.
The cleric said, “I’m in Sokoto now, there are still many Igbo traders here who don’t want to go back home, so why do you tell me they want Biafra?
“Biafra is a nuisance just like Boko Haram. You think every northerner is a Boko Haram (terrorist)?
“Most Nigerians don’t want these ethnic or religious groups. They simply want peace and (to) live together as a nation.
“If truly the Yorubas are agitating for Oduduwa, why are their leaders not talking about it? Why are Igbo leaders also not talking about Biafra?”
Gumi said that the expectations from Yoruba and Igbo leaders were for them “to take care of their miscreants as we handle herdsmen and Boko Haram which are miscreants in the North.”
He added, “Every leader should take the words to their people. Only the miscreants are fuelling this.”
Gumi also reiterated his recent call on Nigerian government to grant amnesty to bandits across the country like it did for Niger Delta militants.
He argued that it was the failure of the government to provide for the basic needs of the citizens that led to the emergence of bandits.
