Gumi defends Ibadan visit, says no one can restrict his movement across Nigeria

Prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has responded to lingering criticism surrounding his visit to Ibadan last year, insisting that he has every constitutional right to travel freely across the country.

He rejected suggestions that his presence in Oyo State was tied to any agenda to impose religious ideologies on the South-West.

The cleric addressed the controversy in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, months after his participation in a major Islamic gathering in Ibadan generated debate among some groups who accused him of promoting northern religious influence in the region.

Gumi maintained that his trip was neither arranged by any South-West Muslim organisation nor initiated by local Islamic groups, explaining that he attended the event in an official capacity as a representative of northern Islamic scholars.

His remarks came amid renewed discussions over allegations that abductors holding schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State had demanded the introduction of Sharia law as part of conditions for their release.

Those claims were recently challenged by one of the victims, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Esiele, who appeared in a viral video from captivity. According to her, the kidnappers had not requested the implementation of Sharia law or a N1 billion ransom as reported in some quarters but were instead demanding the release of certain associates currently in government custody.

The controversy also drew a reaction from the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), which dismissed reports linking the abductors’ demands to Sharia law.

In a statement issued on Monday, the organisation described the allegation as “a lie from the pit of Jahannam (hell)” and argued that enemies of Islam were attempting to exploit the situation to damage the religion’s image.

Aligning himself with that position, Gumi suggested that anti-Islam sentiments were increasingly influencing political narratives in parts of the South-West.

“I quite understand now how Islamophobia is shaping politics in SW (South-West) and why I was unnecessarily dragged into their dirty local politics.

“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.

“Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria?”

The cleric’s comments appear aimed at countering narratives that emerged following his visit to Ibadan in November 2025, which attracted criticism from some groups and individuals who questioned the purpose of his engagement in the region.

Gumi had travelled to Ibadan on November 19, 2025, where he participated as a special guest and keynote speaker at the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit hosted at the University of Ibadan.

During the visit, he also attended a series of meetings and courtesy engagements alongside prominent Islamic scholars drawn from both Northern and Southern Nigeria.

His latest remarks are expected to further fuel ongoing debates over religion, politics and regional sensitivities, particularly as discussions continue around security challenges, interfaith relations and the role of religious leaders in national affairs.