Man Makes Explosive Allegation Against Gumi Over Moroccan Wife

A Nigerian man, Nasiru Musa Idris, has accused Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi of keeping his Moroccan wife away from him for about 11 months after he took her to the cleric for counselling.

According to reports, Gumi has strongly denied the allegation, maintaining that the woman is no longer in Nigeria and has returned to Morocco, where she is currently staying with her parents.

The cleric has also threatened to take legal action against Idris over what he described as defamatory allegations, while one of his aides insisted that the Moroccan woman voluntarily approached Gumi for assistance over a personal matter.

Speaking during an interview with RFI Hausa, Idris said he trusted Gumi as an Islamic scholar and agreed to take his wife to him after the cleric offered to counsel her.

Idris alleged that his wife had no prior relationship with Gumi and only came to know the cleric through him after their marriage. He claimed that the woman had remained away from him for approximately 11 months, describing the situation as unjust and unfair.

According to Idris, he first met Gumi at a pharmacy on Isa Kaita Road in Kaduna while accompanied by members of his family, before subsequently introducing his wife to the cleric.

He further claimed that his Moroccan wife had no previous connections in Nigeria and that he travelled to Morocco to seek her hand in marriage with the involvement and approval of her parents and relevant authorities.

However, Gumi rejected Idris’ account, telling Daily Trust that the woman had already left Nigeria and returned to Morocco to stay with her parents.

The cleric declined to provide extensive details about the dispute, citing an ongoing court case. He nevertheless maintained that the woman was in Morocco and threatened to sue Idris for defamation.

Idris said the disagreement with Gumi was also connected to documentation concerning his marriage. He alleged that the cleric instructed him to obtain another marriage certificate from a Sharia Court despite documents he claimed had already been issued in relation to the marriage in Morocco and Nigeria.

The man said he provided several documents to establish the validity of his marriage, including paperwork involving the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian embassy in Morocco and a police character report.

Idris further alleged that he personally handled the documentation that enabled his wife to travel to Nigeria and only took her to Gumi after the cleric requested an opportunity to counsel her.

He said his trust in the cleric and his wife’s young age influenced his decision to allow her to meet with Gumi, but claimed that communication with her became difficult afterwards.

Idris also disputed reports that the woman’s mother had travelled to Nigeria and later returned to Morocco with her daughter. He called on Gumi to cooperate with the relevant authorities so that the matter could be investigated.

According to Idris, he wants the cleric to respond to any police invitation and allow the appropriate authorities to establish the facts surrounding the dispute. However, there was no independent confirmation in the material available regarding the existence or status of the alleged police invitation.

Meanwhile, Nasiru Ayuba, popularly 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, rejected Idris’ allegations.

Ayuba maintained that Gumi never kept the woman in his residence, insisting instead that the Moroccan woman personally approached the cleric seeking assistance with a private matter.

He claimed that Gumi intervened in the matter and eventually took it to court, while accusing Idris of attempting to damage the cleric’s reputation through allegations circulated on social media.

Ayuba said Gumi’s associates were aware of details surrounding the dispute but had deliberately refrained from making private information public.

The conflicting accounts have sparked controversy over the circumstances surrounding the Moroccan woman’s whereabouts and the marital dispute, with Idris maintaining his allegations and Gumi firmly denying wrongdoing while indicating that the matter is already before the court.