Renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has been deported by Saudi Arabian authorities and barred from participating in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage, despite holding a valid visa.
The Kaduna-based scholar confirmed the incident via a statement on his official Facebook page on Monday, May 26, 2025. Gumi explained that while he had been granted a visa, he was denied entry into Medina upon arrival.
“Although I was issued a visa, I was refused entry due to what appears to be concerns over my political views,” he stated.
Sheikh Gumi expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for its readiness to intervene, saying, “I appreciate the Nigerian authorities who have promised to take up the matter with their Saudi counterparts.”
Gumi was reportedly among a group of religious scholars sponsored by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to offer spiritual support to pilgrims during this year’s Hajj.
He arrived in Medina late Saturday night aboard an Umza Air flight with other clerics, but was stopped by Saudi immigration officials around 10:30 p.m. and was subsequently placed on a flight back to Nigeria.