Gumi Says Islamophobia Is Influencing South-West Politics, Rejects Involvement in “Dirty Local Politics”

Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has asserted that an irrational fear of Muslims and Islam is driving politics in the South-West geopolitical zone of the country. He also asked to be left out of “dirty local politics” in the region, after his visit to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, generated controversy. The cleric made his stance known in a Facebook post on Tuesday amid reports that the abductors of 46 schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire local government area of Oyo State on May 15 had demanded the implementation of Sharia law in the state as one of the conditions to release the captives.

But in a video shared on Monday by her captors, one of the victims vehemently debunked the Sharia implementation report. Speaking from captivity, Mrs Rachael Folawe Alamu, the principal of one of the affected schools, explained that the armed gunmen made no demand for Sharia nor ransom payment of N1 billion as reported in some quarters. She added that they only demanded the release of their comrades being held by Nigerian authorities. “Today makes it the 24th day that we have been in captivity, and it seems some people are making our problem more complicated,” Mrs Alamu said in the video. “We were shown some print media where it was stated that the people that abducted us requested the release of some people. They requested some billion naira. I want to make some clarification.”

A prominent Islamic group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) , also debunked the purported Sharia demand in a Monday press release. Reacting to MURIC’s statement, Gumi said, “I quite understand now how Islamophobia is shaping politics in SW 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’s strange how some people think! I believe the whole saga is tele-guided by both foreign and local interests to promote a narrative and polarise the country.”

Beyond debunking the Sharia demand claim, MURIC has called on South-West governors to immediately empower local security networks, including Amotekun and the O’dua Peoples Congress (OPC) , to address the alarming rate of kidnapping in the region. Concerned by the May 15 abduction of 39 students and seven teachers, as well as the subsequent kidnapping of a sister of Chief Adebayo Adelabu along with her twin boys in Ibadan, MURIC advised South-West governments to prepare vigilante groups as first responders. “Groups like the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and Iru Ekun should be empowered to halt the advance of bandits,” the group stated.

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Also, the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) , Oyo State Chapter, condemned the reported Sharia demand as “deceptive and contrary to Islamic teachings.” The council’s Oyo State Coordinator, Dawood Afolabi, stated that “terrorism, kidnapping, murder, and the intimidation of innocent people are grave sins in Islam and stand in direct opposition to the objectives and values of Sharia Law.” “The perpetrators of these heinous acts have no religious, moral, or legal authority to speak on behalf of Islam or Nigerian Muslims,” Afolabi added. “Those who abduct innocent students and teachers and seek to negotiate with human lives in the name of Sharia are enemies of the very law they claim to advocate.”

Similarly, the Muslim Community of Oyo State declared that terrorists do not represent Islamic values and cannot speak for Muslims to justify their nefarious actions, emphasising that legitimate Sharia advocates for justice, peace, and the protection of human life.

Gumi’s visit to Ibadan was not his first engagement in the South-West. In November 2025, he spoke at the Southwest Muslims Ulama Summit at the University of Ibadan, where he defended his frequent visits to bandits and terrorists. He disclosed that his engagements with armed groups are not done in secrecy, insisting that he always moves with security operatives and government representatives. “When I go, I go with the police. I don’t go alone. I go with the government. It’s not a one-man machine. I carry everybody along,” Gumi said at the summit. The Kaduna-based cleric has consistently argued that the root causes of insecurity are lack of education and unemployment, and that dialogue, rehabilitation, and amnesty for repentant bandits represent the most effective solution after nearly two decades of failed military operations.

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In recent months, Gumi has faced intense criticism, with some accusing him of supporting banditry. In May 2026, he threatened legal action against anyone circulating false claims against him, stating unequivocally that any video clip, written statement, or message suggesting support for banditry does not emanate from him. “I hereby state unequivocally that any video clip, written statement, or message attributed to me — whether directly or by innuendo — suggesting support for, justification of, protection of, or advocacy for banditry in Nigeria or anywhere else does not emanate from me,” Gumi said in a statement shared on his Facebook page. He attributed the alleged misrepresentation to “ethnic-interest groups, individuals driven by prejudice, and some sectional internet content creators who use sensational and outrageous headlines to attract viewership at the expense of human suffering and sacrifice.”

The Defence Headquarters has previously explained why the military does not respond to Gumi’s comments. In December 2025, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, stated that it is not the role of the Armed Forces to respond to every public statement and that relevant agencies are responsible for addressing such concerns. “Every agency has its functions. It is not for the Armed Forces to focus on what some people in society do not agree with in our activities,” Onoja said. “Ours is to focus on our kinetic operations and, as much as possible, conduct non-kinetic operations when necessary.”

Nigerian media commentators have also weighed in on the controversy surrounding the alleged Sharia demand. An opinion piece published in Nigerian Tribune warned against spreading unverified claims, noting that the four-point demand list circulating on social media — which included the Sharia implementation demand — had “no firm evidentiary foundation.” “The Sharia claim is the most suspicious part of the whole thing,” the piece argued. “Where will the Sharia be implemented? In the classrooms from which the children were abducted? In the Old Oyo National Park where the homicidal, blood-stained criminals are believed to be hiding? The absurdity should detain us before outrage overtakes our capacity for critical thought.” The commentator further warned that the rumour was being used to suggest that Yoruba Muslims are somehow complicit in the crimes of bandits. “It bears stressing that Yoruba Muslims are not responsible for the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State. Muslim communities in Yorubaland are not accessories to banditry merely because a rumor says kidnappers demanded Sharia.”

Gumi’s accusation that Islamophobia is shaping politics in the South-West adds another layer to ongoing discourse about religious tensions in Nigeria’s geopolitical zones. The South-West, historically known for relative religious harmony between its Christian and Muslim populations, has seen increased political rhetoric around religious identity in recent years. The cleric’s claim that “both foreign and local interests” are promoting narratives to polarise the country suggests a belief that the controversy surrounding his Ibadan visit was manufactured rather than organic. As Nigeria approaches future election cycles, such accusations of religious bias in political maneuvering are likely to intensify.

Efforts to secure the release of the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire local government area of Oyo State are ongoing, with security agencies maintaining that negotiations continue behind the scenes. As of Tuesday, no official update had been provided on the status of the victims.

Gumi Says Islamophobia Is Influencing South-West Politics, Rejects Involvement in “Dirty Local Politics”