BREAKING: Saudi Arabia Deports Nigerian-based Muslim Scholar Gumi, Bars Him from 2025 Hajj
Saudi Arabian authorities have deported prominent Nigerian-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, preventing him from participating in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.
Gumi, who was part of a delegation of clerics sponsored by the Nigerian Hajj Commission (NAHCON), revealed the incident on Monday, May 26, 2025, via a post on his Facebook page. According to him, while he was issued a visa for the pilgrimage, he was denied entry into Medina upon arrival.
“Due to some reasons related to my views on world politics, the authorities in Saudi Arabia do not want me to be present at Hajj even though they have granted me a visa,” Gumi wrote.
He disclosed that Nigerian authorities have assured him they would engage with their Saudi counterparts to address the matter.
Sources confirmed that Gumi landed in Medina with other clerics on an Umza Air flight around 10:30 pm last Saturday, but Saudi immigration officials stopped him from proceeding beyond the airport. He has since returned to Nigeria, where he is expected to continue his scholarly activities and religious teachings.
This development has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with many questioning the political implications of barring a religious leader from the annual pilgrimage.
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