'I have no links with bandits' — Why Saudi Arabia stopped popular Nigerian Sheikh from entering

• The cleric claims Saudi authorities later investigated and cleared him, though no official statement has been released publicly.

• Gumi defended his controversial meetings with bandits, insisting they were part of peace-building efforts rather than support for criminal groups.

Controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has publicly denied any association with bandits or involvement in promoting insecurity in Nigeria, days after he was turned back at an airport despite holding a valid visa to Saudi Arabia.

Speaking in a video address in Kaduna, Gumi said the incident had prompted him to set the record straight.

"I have no any association, I don't have any hand, I don't do anything to encourage or to promote insecurity in Nigeria," he said. "On the contrary, I'm a peaceful citizen who loves his country more than anything."

According to Gumi, he had secured a valid visa to travel to Saudi Arabia, where he was pursuing a PhD, but upon arriving at the airport, his name did not appear in the system and he was sent back home.

He, however, maintained that Saudi authorities had since cleared him, saying the kingdom conducted a full investigation and found no wrongdoing on his part. "After the Saudi Arabia investigation, the authority exonerated me of all allegations and allowed me to finish my PhD," he said.

No statement from Saudi authorities confirming this has been made public.

This is not the first time Gumi has faced difficulties entering Saudi Arabia. In May 2025, he was deported from Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina after arriving as part of Nigeria's official Hajj delegation under NAHCON.

He attributed that incident to Saudi authorities being uncomfortable with his views on world politics

The Kaduna-based cleric has been one of Nigeria's most polarising figures on the subject of insecurity. He rose to prominence in 2021 after entering bandit hideouts to negotiate hostage releases and advocate for amnesty, becoming the most vocal public defender of dialogue over military action.

He has consistently argued that military action alone is insufficient, calling instead for government investment in neglected northern communities as a long-term solution to banditry. The position has earned him both praise as a peacemaker and sharp criticism from those who believe it legitimises criminal groups.

In his latest address, Gumi defended his mediation work directly. "I felt it's a duty for me to take along with me the government to go and see these people that are causing insecurity and listen to their grievances," he said, adding that to date, he had not seen meaningful steps taken to address those grievances beyond military force.

As recently as November 2025, Gumi was rejecting calls for his arrest, insisting his peace-building role was being unfairly politicised.

His latest speech appears to be an extension of that same defence, this time triggered by the Saudi airport incident.

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