Sheikh Gumi Debunk Rumours of Being Targeted in US Sokoto Airstrikes

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has dismissed claims that he was a target of recent US airstrikes in Sokoto State.

In a statement on his official Facebook page on Sunday, Gumi explained that the reports were based on a viral video from years ago, in which he referenced past threats to his life related to the Boko Haram insurgency, not the recent strikes.

Gumi clarified that Boko Haram elements allegedly attempted to kill him in 2012, and the incident was entirely unrelated to the latest US military operations. He emphasized that his life is currently safe, and there is no ongoing threat to his security.

“There is fake news going viral now that wrongly claims I said I was targeted by the US attack on Nigerian soil, or something to that effect,” Gumi wrote. “I never said so, and I never considered such a possibility. I am comfortably staying in my home with my family without fear, intimidation, or apprehension.”

He further recounted the 2012 attack: “The source of misinterpretation was a lecture I gave in the mosque on how, in August 2012, I was informed that Boko Haram had targeted me for elimination. The two individuals who came to execute the plan were killed instantly when the bomb detonated in their hands near my house.”

Gumi urged media outlets that reported the misinformation to retract their stories and issue public apologies.