Controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has sent shockwaves through the Nigerian political landscape by claiming he has been marked for “elimination” by the United States government.
In a viral video posted on X on Sunday, Gumi alleged that his name was included on a high-level assassination list, purportedly categorizing him as a figure within the Boko Haram terrorist organization.
Addressing his congregation in Kaduna, the cleric detailed an early-morning briefing he received from a source within the nation’s capital. According to Gumi, the tip-off came directly after a high-stakes national security meeting where the outcome of recent foreign military actions was discussed.
“I received a call from a top official in Abuja informing me that I am among those marked by the US for elimination through an American airstrike, as part of Boko Haram. Northern leaders and clerics must speak up against these lies,” Gumi stated in the footage.
The cleric’s allegations surface just days after the United States military launched targeted airstrikes against Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) positions in Sokoto State on December 25, 2025.
This military escalation follows the aggressive rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently vowed to intervene in Nigeria “guns-a-blazing to wipe out the terrorists killing Christians.” Gumi, who has frequently acted as a self-appointed mediator between the Nigerian government and bandit groups, suggested that these foreign interventions are being used as a cover to target domestic religious and political figures.
Sheikh Gumi did not hold back in his assessment of the U.S. military’s presence on Nigerian soil. He argued that the arrival of foreign “superpowers” has only served to inflame an already volatile security situation, often at the expense of innocent lives.
“They claim to have come here to fight terrorists, but they are the actual terrorists,” Gumi asserted, claiming that foreign-led operations frequently result in collateral damage and civilian casualties that deepen local grievances.
While the U.S. Embassy and the Nigerian Presidency have yet to issue an official response to Gumi’s specific allegations of being “marked for elimination,” the cleric’s claims have already ignited a fierce debate regarding the limits of foreign military cooperation and the safety of influential Northern leaders.
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