Moroccan Woman Not With Gumi, Returned Home In April — Lawyer

A lawyer, Bilkisu Abdulrasheed Chedi, has dismissed claims that Moroccan national Khadija Diab is currently with Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.

She said her client returned to Morocco in April 2026 and has remained there since.

Chedi, Executive Director of Women Aware of Rights Initiative, said Khadija returned home after the organisation facilitated an emergency travel document for her, following her allegation that her international passport had been seized by her husband, Nasiru Idris Musa.

She made the clarification in a video addressing claims circulating on social media about Khadija’s whereabouts.

Chedi said Women Aware of Rights Initiative received a complaint from Khadija on 13 October 2025 in which she alleged severe and serial domestic abuse, inadequate feeding and maintenance, as well as unlawful and non-consensual conjugal relations.

She said the organisation subsequently advised Khadija to undergo medical examinations in response to the allegations.

Chedi said the medical report, according to the organisation, indicated that Khadija had contracted a sexually transmitted infection.

She said Khadija was subsequently presented with the available options regarding her situation, after which she decided she no longer wanted to remain in the marriage.

“She made it very clear, categorically, that she did not want to remain married to Nasser as she had gone through a lot and especially her mental state was not in the right place,” Chedi said.

The lawyer said the organisation filed a case on Khadija’s behalf on 23 October 2025, while the matter was first mentioned at the Upper Sharia Court on Doura Road on 6 November.

She said the matter was adjourned to 11 November, when the defence counsel filed a motion for reconciliation.

The case subsequently encountered a series of delays, including a change of defence counsel and a challenge to the court’s jurisdiction on the grounds that the marriage was allegedly conducted in Morocco, Chedi said.

She, however, said Khadija told the organisation that the marriage was conducted in Kaduna State and not Morocco.

Chedi explained that Khadija had initially sought legal advice in Morocco but was advised to come to Nigeria to contract the marriage because of the conditions governing polygamous marriages in the country.

The lawyer said the marriage was subsequently conducted in Kaduna in the presence of Idris, his representative and witnesses.

She said the case never reached the substantive hearing stage, citing repeated adjournments and the February 2026 strike by judicial workers in Kaduna State.

Chedi said Khadija later became emotionally distressed and expressed her desire to return to Morocco.

Chedi said the emergency travel document was issued on 31 March 2026, while Khadija obtained her air ticket on 1 April and subsequently travelled to Morocco.

She said Moroccan immigration authorities, the Moroccan Embassy in Abuja and Khadija’s parents separately confirmed that she had arrived safely in Morocco.

Chedi therefore rejected claims that Khadija was with Gumi, saying her client had been in Morocco for about six months.

“All the allegations that she has been with Sheikh Ahmed Gumi are false and unfounded because it doesn’t make sense for a person to be in two countries at the same time,” she said.

The lawyer added that Khadija had authorised her to continue handling her legal matters in Nigeria while she remained in Morocco.

Chedi further disclosed that the organisation discontinued the initial case seeking dissolution of the marriage on the basis of harm on 10 June 2026, following Khadija’s departure from Nigeria.

She said a fresh case seeking dissolution of the marriage through redemption under Sharia law was filed at another court on 2 July 2026.

According to her, the organisation has documents relating to the discontinuance of the earlier case and the summons in the new matter.

Chedi said Khadija would also make a video to personally explain her experience and the circumstances surrounding the case.

She said Women Aware of Rights Initiative is a non-profit organisation that provides free legal and psychosocial support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as conducts awareness campaigns on women’s rights, law and order and other community-related issues.