Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has defended his visit to Ibadan, Oyo State, stating that no individual or group has the authority to stop him from travelling to any part of Nigeria.
Gumi made the clarification following criticisms that trailed his visit to Ibadan in November 2025, with some individuals alleging that he was promoting Northern Islamic ideologies in the South-West region.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page, the cleric explained that his visit was not at the invitation of any Muslim organisation or individual in the South-West. Instead, he said he attended the event as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama.
He also expressed concern over what he described as growing Islamophobia in the South-West, arguing that his name had been dragged into local political controversies unnecessarily.
According to Gumi, he participated in the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit held at the University of Ibadan and attended meetings alongside Muslim scholars from both Northern and Southern Nigeria.
His remarks came amid recent debates surrounding claims that kidnappers holding victims in Oyo State demanded the introduction of Sharia law as a condition for their release. However, one of the abducted victims reportedly denied the allegation, stating that the kidnappers instead sought the release of some of their associates in government custody.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) also rejected reports linking the abductors to demands for the implementation of Sharia law, describing such claims as false and misleading.
Gumi maintained that his visit to Ibadan was purely religious and scholarly in nature and questioned why anyone would seek to restrict his movement within the country.
