A Kaduna man, Nasiru Musa Idris, has publicly accused prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi of meddling in his marriage and obstructing security agencies from investigating what he described as the disappearance of his Moroccan wife. Idris made the allegations in an interview with RFI Hausa, stating that his wife has been in Gumi's custody for roughly 11 months. He described the situation as deeply unjust and called on the cleric to respond to a police invitation so the matter could be properly investigated.
How the Dispute Began
Idris said he first met Gumi at a pharmacy on Isa Kaita Road in Kaduna, where he had gone with his family. He later introduced his wife to the cleric. According to Idris, the woman had no prior connections in Nigeria before he brought her into the country, having travelled to Morocco specifically to seek her hand in marriage. He said the union was contracted with the full consent of her parents and with documentation from the Nigerian embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The trouble, he said, started when Gumi reportedly insisted that he obtain an additional marriage certificate from a Sharia Court, despite the existing paperwork from Morocco and Nigeria, including a police character report. Idris said he subsequently took his wife to the cleric at Gumi's own request, after Gumi suggested she needed counselling given her young age. He alleges that from that point, the cleric began pushing for the separation of the marriage and worked to prevent any security agency from looking into her whereabouts.
Idris Challenges Claims About Wife's Mother
Idris also challenged claims that the woman's mother had travelled to Nigeria and taken her away, saying he personally processed the mother's travel documents to facilitate her visit. He maintained that his wife remains in Gumi's custody and that the cleric has not responded to police invitations, which he believes is a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice.
Gumi Denies Allegations, Plans to Sue
Speaking to Weekend Trust, Gumi denied the allegations and said he intended to sue Idris for defamation. Malam Nasiru Ayuba, known as Dan Agaji, who serves as chairman of the Volunteers of Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna and as Gumi's personal assistant on special assignment, also rejected the allegation that the cleric was keeping the woman in his home.
Ayuba said the Moroccan woman had approached Gumi on her own initiative to seek help with a personal problem, and that Gumi stepped in after she indicated she had nowhere else to turn. He said Gumi's supporters should remain calm while the matter was being resolved, adding that the cleric had been unfairly targeted on social media. He warned that private information about Idris could be made public if circumstances required it.
The dispute highlights a growing public disagreement between Idris and Gumi, with the cleric's representatives urging calm while the matter is being resolved. The police have yet to release an official statement on the case, but Idris has called on Gumi to cooperate with the investigation to clarify the whereabouts of his wife.
