Popular Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has responded to criticisms over his visit to Ibadan last year, rejecting claims that he was promoting the Islamisation of Oyo State or advancing northern religious interests in the South-West.
Gumi maintained that no individual or group has the authority to restrict his movement within Nigeria, adding that his visit to Ibadan was not at the invitation of any South-West Muslim organisation or individual.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, he stated that he attended the event as a representative of a coalition of northern Islamic scholars.
“I now understand how Islamophobia is shaping politics in the South-West and why I was dragged into local political controversies,” he 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?”
His comments followed renewed debate after a victim of a kidnapping incident in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State dismissed claims that abductors demanded the introduction of Sharia law as a condition for release.
The victim, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Esiele, said in a viral video that the kidnappers did not make any such demand or request a ₦1 billion ransom, but instead sought the release of their associates in government custody.
Gumi had visited Ibadan on November 19, 2025, where he served as guest speaker at the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit held at the University of Ibadan, and also participated in a courtesy meeting with Islamic scholars from across the country.
