Saudi authorities have barred Kaduna-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, from participating in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage and have deported him back to Nigeria.
Sheikh Gumi confirmed the development in a Facebook post on Monday, May 26, 2025. He stated that although he was granted a visa to perform the Hajj, he was denied entry into Medina, where he was scheduled to begin his religious rites.
“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 also expressed appreciation to Nigerian authorities, who, according to him, have promised to engage with their Saudi counterparts on the issue.
Gumi was reportedly part of a delegation of Islamic scholars sponsored by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to offer religious services during the pilgrimage. He arrived in Medina last Saturday at around 10:30 p.m. aboard an Umza Air flight, along with other clerics.
However, upon arrival, Saudi immigration officials stopped him at the airport and denied him entry into the country.
Sheikh Gumi has since returned to Nigeria and is expected to resume his usual activities, particularly his religious teachings.
