Olayiwola Matthew
Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, has denied reports suggesting that he claimed to be a target of the recent United States airstrikes on terrorists in Sokoto State.
Gumi clarified that a viral old video being circulated online, in which he spoke about threats to his life, was being misinterpreted.
He explained that the comments in the video referred to an incident involving the Boko Haram sect in 2012, not any recent US military action.
In a post shared on his official Facebook page on Sunday, the cleric said his life is not currently under threat and dismissed claims that he was marked for elimination by the United States.
He said it was God who saved him from an assassination attempt allegedly carried out by Boko Haram elements at the time.
“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,” Gumi wrote.
“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.”
He explained further that the confusion stemmed from a lecture he delivered in a mosque, during which he recounted a past 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,” he said.
“The two people who came to execute the plan were killed instantly when the bomb detonated in their hands near my house.”
Gumi urged media organisations that published the reports to correct the record.
“I advise all news agencies that reported the fake news to publicly retract it and tender their apologies,” he added.