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Controversial cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has been deported from Saudi Arabia and banned from the 2025 Hajj. Gumi, who held a valid visa, claims his political views prompted the decision. He was part of a NAHCON delegation meant to guide pilgrims, but was stopped at the airport in Medina.

  • Sheikh Gumi was deported despite holding a valid Hajj visa.
  • Claimed the ban was due to his political views on world affairs.
  • Was traveling with a NAHCON clerical delegation for Nigerian pilgrims.
  • Saudi authorities have not given an official reason for the deportation.
  • Nigerian officials say they will engage Saudi Arabia diplomatically.
This move raises questions about the boundaries between religious participation and political ideology, especially in the Middle East. For a cleric who has long walked the tightrope between theology and politics in Nigeria, Gumi’s deportation may signal broader scrutiny of voices deemed too controversial on the global Islamic stage.

The Nigerian government has pledged to intervene, but the incident underscores a larger tension between personal expression and international religious gatekeeping.