By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has said that no one in Nigeria can stop him from travelling to any part of the country.

He made the comment in a Facebook post on Tuesday, reacting to criticism over his visit to Ibadan, Oyo State, last year, which some people linked to alleged attempts to promote northern Islamic ideology in the South-West.

Gumi said he was in Ibadan as a representative of northern Islamic scholars and not on the invitation of any Muslim group or individual in the South-West.

He dismissed suggestions that his visit was aimed at Islamising the region, saying such claims were misleading and connected to what he described as growing Islamophobia in South-West politics.

The cleric maintained that his movement within Nigeria cannot be restricted by anyone, stressing that he has the right to travel freely across the country.

His comments came shortly after one of the victims of the Oyo State kidnapping incident, the principal of Community High School, Esiele, Mrs Rachael Alamu, denied the claim that abductors demanded the introduction of Sharia law or a N1 billion ransom as part of conditions for their release.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) had also rejected the alleged Sharia demand, describing it as false and an attempt to malign Islam.

Gumi supported that position, saying some of the narratives around the incident were being wrongly framed for political reasons.

He also recalled attending the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit held at the University of Ibadan on November 19, 2025, where he appeared as a guest speaker alongside other Islamic scholars from across Nigeria.

Source: The Punch