Sheikh Gumi Denies US Targeted Him in Sokoto Airstrikes, Calls Reports Fake

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has denied claims that he was a target of the United States during recent airstrikes on terrorists in Sokoto State.

Gumi explained that the reports originated from an old viral video in which he had previously discussed threats to his life, and clarified that his remarks referred to the Boko Haram insurgency.

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Sunday, the cleric stated that Boko Haram allegedly attempted to assassinate him in 2012, and that the incident had no link to the recent US airstrikes.

He added that his life is not under threat and that the circulating claims are false.

“I never said so, and I also never thought of such a possibility. I am comfortably staying in my home with my family without fear, intimidation, or apprehension,” Gumi wrote.

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

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

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