Popular Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has dismissed allegations that his 2025 visit to Ibadan was aimed at promoting the Islamisation of Oyo State or advancing northern religious ideologies in the South-West.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Gumi said he attended the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit at the University of Ibadan on November 19, 2025, not at the invitation of any South-West Muslim group, but 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,” he wrote. “Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria
Gumi also participated in a courtesy meeting with Muslim scholars from both northern and southern Nigeria during the visit.
His response follows recent criticisms over the Ibadan trip and coincides with denials from an abduction victim in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State. Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Esiele, who spoke from captivity in a viral video, said her kidnappers did not demand the introduction of Sharia law or a N1 billion ransom. She said they instead sought the release of their associates in government custody
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