…Says nobody can stop his movements anywhere in Nigeria
Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has responded to criticism surrounding his visit to Ibadan, Oyo State, last year, insisting that no one can prevent him from travelling to any part of Nigeria.
In a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Gumi said he was not invited by any Muslim group or individual in the South-West but attended the event as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama.
“I was in Ibadan, not by the invitation of any SW Muslim individual or group, but as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama,” he wrote.
“Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria?”
The cleric’s remarks come amid renewed debate over his November 2025 visit to Ibadan, which drew criticism from some quarters that accused him of attempting to promote northern Islamic ideologies in the South-West.
Gumi said he now understood “how Islamophobia is shaping politics” in the region and suggested that he had been unnecessarily drawn into local political disputes.
His comments followed the denial by one of the victims of the recent abduction in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State that the kidnappers demanded the implementation of Sharia law as a condition for release.
In a video recorded while in captivity, the principal of Community High School, Esiele, Mrs Rachael Alamu, said the abductors neither demanded Sharia law nor a N1 billion ransom, contrary to reports circulating in some quarters. According to her, the gunmen sought the release of some of their associates in government custody.
The claim was also rejected by the Muslim Rights Concern, which described reports linking the abduction to demands for Sharia law as false.
Gumi visited Ibadan on November 19, 2025, as a special guest and speaker at the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit held at the University of Ibadan. He also attended a courtesy meeting alongside Muslim scholars from northern and southern Nigeria.
The visit sparked controversy in Oyo State, with critics questioning its purpose and expressing concerns about its religious and political implications.
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