Sheikh Gumi Denies US Airstrike Assassination Claims, Calls Reports Fake News
Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has dismissed reports claiming he was targeted for assassination by a United States airstrike in Nigeria, calling them “fake news.”
The confusion arose after a video circulated online suggesting that Gumi had been marked for elimination by the US. Speaking on Facebook, he clarified, “There is fake news going viral now that wrongly claims that I said I was targeted by the US attack on Nigerian soil, or something to that effect. 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 said the misunderstanding likely stemmed from a lecture he gave at a mosque, in which he recounted a 2012 assassination attempt by Boko Haram. He said, “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.”
He also called on media organisations that reported the claims to retract their stories and apologise, stating, “I advise all news agencies that reported the fake news to publicly retract it and tender their apologies.”
Gumi stressed that he is safe and not under threat, urging the public and media to disregard the false reports.
