Gumi arrived in Medina last Saturday at approximately 10:30pm aboard an Umza Air flight alongside other clerics.
Mallam Salisu, an aide to controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has confirmed that the Saudi Arabian government barred the cleric from performing the Hajj pilgrimage.
Salisu, speaking with SaharaReporters, noted that Sheikh Gumi was barred from participating in the Hajj rites "due to his outspoken criticism of the Saudi Arabian ruling family, particularly regarding their handling of the Israeli-Hamas conflict."
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Saudi Arabian authorities barred Gumi from performing the Hajj pilgrimage, deporting him upon arrival in the Kingdom.
Gumi arrived in Medina last Saturday at approximately 10:30pm aboard an Umza Air flight alongside other clerics.
However, Saudi immigration officials denied him entry at the airport, preventing him from proceeding with the religious rites.
When contacted, the aide of Sheikh Gumi, Mallam Salisu, confirmed that the cleric had been barred from performing the Hajj pilgrimage.
He clarified, "The highly respected cleric was not deported, contrary to some reports. What actually occurred was that he arrived in Madinah on Saturday. During immigration clearance at the airport, his thumbprint failed to retrieve his biodata. As a result, he was asked to step aside. The following day, Saudi authorities informed him that he was barred from participating in the Hajj rites due to his outspoken criticism of the ruling family, particularly regarding their handling of the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
"Therefore, I can confirm that he (Sheikh Gumi) has called to let me know that he was back to the country."