Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has threatened to take legal action against human rights lawyer, Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo, over what he described as defamatory allegations capable of inciting religious tension in Nigeria.

In a post shared on his official Facebook page on Thursday, Gumi demanded that Omirhobo retract his statement and issue an “unreserved apology” within 48 hours or face a lawsuit for defamation and incitement.

“Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo should retract his defamatory allegations against me (Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Gumi) and tender an unreserved apology in another press release within 48 hours, otherwise he would be charged to a court of law for defamation and intent to stir religious crisis in Nigeria,” Gumi wrote.

The threat comes in response to a statement issued earlier by Omirhobo, titled “Terrorism Apology Is a Crime, Government Must Investigate and Prosecute Sheikh Ahmad Gumi,” in which the lawyer accused the cleric of “publicly justifying and defending terrorists” and called for his arrest and prosecution by security agencies.

In the statement, Omirhobo cited provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Criminal Code Act, arguing that Gumi’s comments and visits to bandit camps amounted to support for terrorism and posed a threat to national security.

Sheikh Gumi threatens to sue lawyer Omirhobo over terrorism remarks