A Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Ahmad Tijjani Umar, has dismissed claims that he was arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services following a recent visit by Peter Obi.
The controversy began after Obi, in a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, alleged that the cleric was detained shortly after hosting him in Kaduna last Sunday.
Obi had written, “I have just been made aware early this morning that revered religious leader, Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Umar, has been arrested by authorities shortly after hosting me in Kaduna on Sunday.”
The former Labour Party presidential candidate had described the development as troubling, warning that it reflects a growing threat to democratic freedoms in the country.
“This development underscores the deeply troubling state of our nation and our democracy, where freedom of speech and movement is increasingly threatened, and where citizens and perceived political opponents face harassment and unnecessary persecution. This cannot be allowed to continue,” he added.
Obi had further urged the authorities to uphold democratic principles, stressing that suppression of dissent has no place in a democratic society.
But in a viral video that surfaced hours after Obi’s claim, the cleric, Umar firmly refuted the allegation, stating that he was neither arrested nor harassed by security operatives.
The cleric, who dismissed the reports as false, said, “I was not arrested. I was not detained. Nothing of such happened.”
The development has since sparked reactions across social media, with conflicting narratives raising questions over the accuracy of the initial claim and the circumstances surrounding Obi’s visit to Kaduna.
