Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has reportedly been deported from Saudi Arabia shortly after arriving in the kingdom for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.
According to multiple reports, the cleric arrived in Saudi Arabia on May 24 but was denied entry by immigration authorities and subsequently returned to Nigeria.
The reports alleged that Saudi authorities acted over claims linking the cleric to extremist elements and accusations that he sympathised with terrorist groups.
Gumi later confirmed the development, stating that Saudi immigration officials informed him that his name was “not found in the system,” despite possessing a valid visa for the pilgrimage.
The Islamic scholar, however, did not provide further details regarding the circumstances surrounding his deportation.
Some reports also claimed that Saudi authorities had earlier placed restrictions on his entry into the kingdom prior to his arrival.
Neither the Saudi authorities nor the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued an official statement on the matter as of the time of filing this report.
Gumi, a Kaduna-based cleric, has in the past attracted public attention over his comments on insecurity and banditry in parts of northern Nigeria.
