Sheikh Gumi, a controversial Islamic preacher, has refuted rumours and pictures that have been making the rounds on social media claiming he was detained by US military forces in Nigeria.
The allegations surfaced when a picture purportedly depicting the priest being captured by US troops at an airport went viral on the internet on Thursday, February 5.
Narratives depicting the occurrence as a component of an international counterterrorism operation involving foreign forces in Nigeria swiftly spread along with the image.
Sheikh Gumi questioned the reasoning for allegations of his detention and disputed them in a phone interview with SaharaReporters on Thursday.
“The US Army cannot arrest me in Nigeria, why will the US army come and arrest me in Nigeria, for what reason?” he said.
Sheikh Gumi further addressed the authenticity of the image that had circulated widely online, describing it as artificially created and misleading.
“The image is Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated. Even a layman will know that the image is AI,” Gumi said, stressing that the visuals were fabricated and should not be taken seriously.
He concluded by reaffirming his status, “I have not been arrested,” making it clear that the viral reports were false and that he remained free in Nigeria.
A text message accompanying the widely shared photo claimed that Gumi had been captured by US military forces at an airport in Nigeria.
The statement went on to say that the cleric was trying to leave the nation for Turkey because of allegations that he was associated with terrorist organisations and their bases of operations.
In the meantime, Gumi, a well-known Islamic preacher in Nigeria, has long been the focus of public debate because of his contacts with armed organisations and remarks that many believe legitimise the acts of bandits.
When Sheikh Gumi started meeting with bandit group leaders in northwest Nigeria in 2021, he initially came under severe national scrutiny. His attempts to negotiate the release of hostages held in Kaduna, Zamfara, and other impacted states included the meetings.
Some of these negotiations led to the release of captives, earning him praise from families of victims and local residents.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
