A coalition of civil society groups has raised the alarm over the continued onslaught by the Boko Haram terrorists on the President/CEO of Global Real Estate Investors and Financial Services, Chief Anslem Gbemudu, following insinuations that he was instrumental to the death of their leader, Mohammed Yusuf in 2009.
At several times, they said there were alleged attempts to eliminate Gbemudu’s life, execute his family and destroy all his engagements within the shores of Nigeria.
In a statement Monday in Abuja, they said the US Army veteran and Nigerian citizen is one of the most respected royal families in Delta state and has domiciled and gathered sufficient knowledge on the management of top profile security situations in the United States.
The statement was jointly signed by Convener Initiative for Social Progress International, David Yusuf; Co-Convener Nigeria National Coalition for Democracy and Good Governance, Abbah Michael; and Co-Convener Mass Movement for a New Nigeria, Dansirja Ibraheem.
The statement said: “He saw reason to, in the wake of the security concerns in Nigeria, to come back home and deploy his intellectual and professional acumen to dissuading the minds of young Nigerians, particularly in the higher institutions of learning in Northern Nigeria who were hypnotised with distorted Qur’anic teachings by Mohammed Yusuf, his cohorts and hirelings.
“To check the negative and rapidly growing evil agenda and influence Mohammed Yusuf was exerting using religion to convert sincere Muslims into terrorists, Chief Anslem Gbemudu in 2008 and 2009 embarked on a mission to neutralize the ideas of Islamic extremism and warfare that was been inculcated at that time.
“He recorded monumental success in disarming the grip of inordinate religious teachings on young and innocent Muslims who later refuted Mohammed Yusuf and his representations.”
“With Mohammed’s death in 2009 following an unsuccessful attempt to evade police custody, members of his sect drew illogical conclusions that Chief Anslem Gbemudu could not be extricated of blameworthiness to the ill fate of their acclaimed spiritual leader.”
They said: “Gbemudu is one of the few Nigerians whose national and international concern for the cause of the minority ethnicities of Nigeria has remained undeterred and dogged.”