A Kaduna based Islamic cleric, Ahmad Tijjani Umar, has dismissed claims that he was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) 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.
“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,” Obi wrote.
The former presidential candidate 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 stated.
Obi further called on authorities to uphold democratic principles, stressing that suppression of dissent has no place in a democratic society.
However, in a viral video that surfaced hours after the claim, Umar firmly refuted the allegation, stating that he was neither arrested nor harassed by security operatives.
“I was not arrested. I was not detained. Nothing of such happened,” the cleric said, dismissing the reports as false.
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.
