Popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has defended his controversial visit to Ibadan in late 2025, insisting that no individual or group has the authority to prevent him from travelling to any part of Nigeria.
Gumi made the clarification amid lingering controversy surrounding his visit to Oyo State, which sparked accusations in some quarters that he was attempting to promote Northern Islamic ideologies and advance the Islamisation of the South-West region.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, the cleric said his visit to Ibadan was not at the invitation of any Muslim organisation or individual in the South-West. Rather, he explained that he attended the event as a representative of a coalition of Northern Islamic scholars.
His comments came barely 24 hours after one of the victims abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State refuted reports that the kidnappers had demanded the introduction of Sharia law in the state as a condition for releasing their captives.
The victim, Mrs Rachael Alamu, Principal of Community High School, Esiele, who appeared in a viral video from captivity, stated that the abductors never requested the implementation of Sharia law or the payment of a N1 billion ransom as widely reported. According to her, the kidnappers only demanded the release of some of their associates currently being held by Nigerian authorities.
The development also followed a statement by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), which dismissed reports linking the kidnappers to demands for Sharia law in Oyo State.
In a statement issued on Monday, MURIC described the allegation as “a lie from the pit of Jahannam (hell),” arguing that enemies of Islam had deliberately inserted the claim into ongoing negotiations to portray the religion negatively.
Reacting to the controversy, Gumi said he now understands how Islamophobia is influencing political discourse in the South-West and why he was dragged into what he described as local political battles.
“I quite understand now how Islamophobia is shaping politics in the South-West and why I was unnecessarily dragged into their dirty local politics,” he wrote.
“I was in Ibadan, not by the invitation of any South-West Muslim individual or group, but as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama. Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria?”
Gumi’s visit to Ibadan took place on November 19, 2025, when he attended the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit held at the University of Ibadan as a special guest and speaker.
During the visit, he also participated in a courtesy meeting alongside prominent Muslim scholars from both Northern and Southern Nigeria.
The cleric’s latest remarks are expected to reignite discussions over religious sensitivities, regional politics, and freedom of movement within Nigeria.
