By Opeyemi Adelakun
Popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has dismissed criticisms surrounding his recent visit to Ibadan, Oyo State, insisting that he has the right to move freely across any part of Nigeria.
Gumi also rejected claims that his trip was linked to any agenda of promoting Islamisation in the South-West, stressing that his visit was strictly religious and not politically motivated.
In a post shared on Facebook on Tuesday, the cleric said he had become aware of what he described as growing Islamophobia in the South-West, which he claimed was behind the controversy surrounding his presence in Ibadan.
According to him, he did not travel to the state at the invitation of any local Muslim group or individual, but as a representative of a coalition of northern Islamic scholars.
He maintained that no person or group had the authority to restrict his movement within the country.
“Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria?” he wrote.
Gumi’s clarification comes amid public reactions to his participation in an event held in Ibadan in November 2025, where he served as a guest speaker at a gathering of Islamic scholars from different regions.
During the visit, he also attended a courtesy meeting involving prominent Muslim clerics from both the northern and southern parts of the country.
The controversy was further fueled by ongoing discussions in Oyo State linked to insecurity and abduction cases, some of which have generated conflicting claims about the demands of kidnappers.
Gumi, however, insisted that his presence in the South-West should not be interpreted as interference in local politics or religious affairs.
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