Nobody Can Stop Me From Going Anywhere In Nigeria— Sheikh Gumi Speaks On Ibadan Visit

Controversial Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has responded to criticisms surrounding his visit to Ibadan last year, insisting that no individual or group has the authority to prevent him from travelling to any part of Nigeria.

Gumi’s remarks come amid renewed debates over his November 2025 visit to Oyo State, which had sparked controversy in some quarters. Critics had alleged that the cleric’s presence in Ibadan was linked to efforts to promote northern Islamic ideologies and advance the Islamisation of the South-West region.

Reacting in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Gumi rejected the claims and said his visit was not at the invitation of any Muslim organisation or individual in the South-West. According to him, he attended the event in his capacity as a representative of northern Islamic scholars.

The cleric lamented what he described as the growing influence of Islamophobia in South-West politics, arguing that he had been unfairly drawn into local political disputes.

“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.

Clarifying the purpose of his trip, Gumi added: “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.”

Questioning the criticism that followed his visit, he asked: “Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria?”

His comments surfaced barely a day after one of the victims abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State challenged reports that the kidnappers had demanded the introduction of Sharia law in the state as a condition for their release.

In a video recorded while in captivity and widely circulated online, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Esiele, stated that the abductors neither requested the implementation of Sharia law nor demanded a ₦1 billion ransom. Instead, she said the gunmen sought the release of some of their associates allegedly being held by Nigerian security authorities.

Gumi had visited Ibadan on November 19, 2025, where he participated as a special guest and keynote speaker at the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit held at University of Ibadan. During the visit, he also attended a courtesy meeting alongside prominent Islamic scholars from both northern and southern parts of the country.