Renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has instituted a criminal case against two Facebook users at the Chief Magistrate Court in Kaduna State over allegations of criminal conspiracy and defamation of character.
The suit, filed on Wednesday and numbered KMD/685/25, lists George Udom and Bello Isiaka as defendants, with Sheikh Gumi named as the complainant.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly published a Facebook post on December 23, 2025, falsely attributing to Gumi a statement threatening the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa.
The post claimed that the cleric warned that the minister’s family in Zango Kataf, Southern Kaduna, would be harmed if military operations against bandits were not halted.
Gumi, through his legal counsel Suleiman Lere, denied authoring or endorsing the statement, describing it as false, malicious and reckless. He argued that the publication was deliberately crafted to portray him as a sponsor of terrorism and a threat to national security.
In his complaint, the cleric said the alleged post falsely suggested that he had personally threatened a serving public officer whose constitutional responsibility includes maintaining peace and security across the country, including Kaduna State.
Gumi further stated that the publication had endangered his life, warning that such claims could provoke attacks against him or expose him to reprisals from security agencies and aggrieved members of the public.
He noted that the allegation had caused significant damage to his reputation as a religious leader widely known for advocating peace, dialogue and restraint, particularly in the context of Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges.
The case is expected to come up for hearing at the Chief Magistrate Court in Kaduna, as the court considers the allegations of conspiracy and defamatory publication raised by the complainant.