Gumi maintained that he has the freedom to travel anywhere in the country, insisting that his visit was not at the invitation of any Muslim organisation or individual in the South-West region.
In a post shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday, he explained that he was in Ibadan in the capacity of a representative of Northern Islamic scholars.
His clarification came a day after a victim of the kidnapping incident in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State refuted claims that the abductors demanded the introduction of Sharia law as a condition for the victims’ release.
According to the Oyo State Community High School, Esiele principal, Mrs Rachael Alamu, who spoke in a viral video from captivity, the kidnappers did not request Sharia implementation or a N1 billion ransom as earlier reported. She said their demand was the release of their associates held by Nigerian authorities.
Similarly, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) dismissed reports linking the abductors’ demands to Sharia law, describing such claims as false and malicious, allegedly aimed at discrediting Islam.
The group said the narrative was deliberately inserted by individuals seeking to distort the negotiation process and damage the image of the religion.
Reacting further, Gumi said, “I quite understand now how Islamophobia is shaping politics in SW (South-West) and why I was unnecessarily dragged into their dirty local politics.
“I was in Ibadan, not by the invitation of any SW Muslim individual or group, but as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama.
“Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria?”
It would be recalled that Sheikh Gumi visited Ibadan on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, where he featured as a special guest and speaker at the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit held at the University of Ibadan.
During the visit, he also participated in a courtesy engagement with leading Islamic scholars from both the northern and southern parts of the country.