“They Marked Me for Death” — Sheikh Gumi Speaks on US Airstrike Claim

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has alleged that his name was included on a list of individuals marked for elimination on the same day the United States carried out an airstrike in Nigeria.

The cleric made the claim while addressing his congregation in a video that has since gone viral on social media. The footage, shared on X on Sunday, shows Gumi stating that he received an early-morning phone call from an unnamed source in Abuja who briefed him on the outcome of a high-level national security meeting.

According to Gumi, the caller informed him that he had allegedly been identified by the United States as a Boko Haram figure and placed on a list of targets for elimination through an American airstrike. He expressed shock at the claim and urged northern leaders and Islamic clerics to challenge what he described as false and dangerous allegations.

In the video, Gumi insisted that the accusation was baseless, warning that such claims could have severe consequences. He argued that labeling religious leaders as terrorists without credible evidence fuels mistrust and deepens insecurity in the country.

The allegation follows a US airstrike carried out on December 25, 2025, against suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Sokoto State. The military action came after former US President Donald Trump publicly stated that the United States would intervene decisively in Nigeria to eliminate terrorists, particularly those responsible for killing Christians.

Sheikh Gumi used the opportunity to strongly criticise foreign military involvement in Nigeria, contending that external interventions often worsen the security situation rather than resolve it. He accused foreign forces of causing civilian casualties and escalating tensions in already volatile communities.

The cleric’s remarks have sparked widespread reactions and renewed debate over foreign involvement in Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts, as well as the risks of misinformation and misidentification in the fight against insurgency.