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Controversy over Gumi’s visit to Ibadan resurfaces
The controversy surrounding the visit of prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, to Ibadan last year has resurfaced, with the cleric dismissing allegations that he was promoting the Islamisation of Oyo State or advancing northern religious ideologies in the South-West.
Gumi, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, maintained that no individual or group could prevent him from travelling to any part of Nigeria, stressing that his visit to Ibadan was neither political nor at the invitation of any Muslim organisation or individual in the region.
According to him, he attended the event solely in his capacity as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama.
“I now understand how Islamophobia is shaping politics in the South-West and why I was dragged into local political controversies,” Gumi wrote.
“I was in Ibadan not at 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?” he added.
Gumi’s remarks came a day after one of the victims abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State debunked reports that the kidnappers had demanded the introduction of Sharia law in the state as a condition for their release.
The victim, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Esiele, spoke from captivity in a video that later went viral, stating that the abductors neither requested the implementation of Sharia law nor demanded a N1 billion ransom.
According to her, the kidnappers were seeking the release of some of their associates currently being held in government custody.
Gumi had visited Ibadan on November 19, 2025, as a guest speaker at the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit held at the University of Ibadan. During the visit, he also participated in a courtesy meeting attended by leading Muslim scholars from both northern and southern Nigeria.
The cleric’s latest comments appear aimed at addressing concerns and criticisms that trailed his appearance in Oyo State, particularly amid heightened sensitivities over religious and political issues in parts of the country.