Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has exonerated bandits from the Greenfield University Students kidnap, saying Boko Haram was responsible.

Twenty-two students and a member of staff of the institution were abducted on April 20 while five of them have been killed.

Gumi made the claim in an interview with AIT on Tuesday when asked if he said Boko Haram was behind the abduction.

His words: “Yes, really. When we tried to trace them and put some sense into them, the contact who is also a nomadic Fulani, they threatened him. They said if he insists on them they were going to catch him and he will have to pay a ransom before he gets out.

“And the leader is from Jalingo. He is from Adamawa. He is not the local Fulani we have here. So this means that the Northeastern element is coming into this area and we have to move fast. We don’t have that luxury of time.

“I have been trying to speak with the government but nobody is really trying to listen to me or speak with me on this issue. We are trying to pacify and remove this banditry and they are responding.”

Meanwhile, leader of the group, Sani Idris Jalingo has vowed to kill the students if a ransom of N100 million and 10 motorcycles ransom is not paid.

Kaduna State governor, Nasir El’Rufai also insisted that his government will not negotiate with bandits.