‘I Have Been Marked for Elimination by the U.S.’ — Islamic Cleric Ahmad Gumi

• Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi has alleged that he was informed his name appeared on a list of Boko Haram figures marked for elimination, hours before U.S. airstrikes reportedly hit ISWAP targets in northern Nigeria.

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has claimed that he received intelligence suggesting he had been identified for assassination as a Boko Haram figure on the same morning the United States carried out airstrikes in Nigeria.

Gumi made the allegation while addressing his congregation in a video that has since gone viral on social media. The clip, shared on Sunday by X user #General_Somto, shows the cleric recounting an early-morning phone call from an unnamed source in Abuja.

According to Gumi, the caller briefed him on discussions at a national security meeting and claimed that his name was among those allegedly listed for elimination through a U.S. military airstrike.

“I received a call from a top official in Abuja informing me that I am among those marked by the U.S. for elimination through an American airstrike, as part of Boko Haram,” Gumi said. He urged northern leaders and Islamic clerics to speak out against what he described as false narratives.

The cleric’s remarks followed reports that, on December 25, the United States launched airstrikes targeting members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Sokoto State. The operation reportedly came amid earlier comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had warned that the U.S. could intervene in Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to eliminate terrorists attacking Christians.

Gumi strongly criticised foreign military involvement in Nigeria, arguing that such interventions often worsen insecurity rather than resolve it. He accused external forces of misrepresenting the conflict and questioned the legitimacy of their actions.

“They claim to have come here to fight terrorists, but they are the actual terrorists,” he said.

He further challenged the global narrative on terrorism, suggesting that powerful foreign actors had contributed to the emergence of insurgent groups in the region. Gumi alleged that U.S. policies and international influence played a role in the rise of Boko Haram and the deepening of insecurity in Nigeria.

DON’T MISS: Anthony Joshua Speaks from Hospital After Deadly Auto Crash

The cleric also expressed frustration with political and religious leadership in northern Nigeria, questioning their response to repeated attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP.

“The North, you all know they attacked, but where are your leaders and what have they done about it?” he asked.

In addition, Gumi criticised some religious scholars for what he described as silence and selective condemnation, accusing them of failing to challenge false claims by terrorists and of supporting only specific religious groups.

“It happens, and nobody is talking; they are all afraid to talk. That’s the situation we are in this country,” he added.