Kaduna‑based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has refuted online claims that he was a target of recent U.S. airstrikes in Sokoto State.

In a statement on his verified Facebook page, Gumi said the circulating reports were based on an old video that was misinterpreted and unrelated to the current U.S. military operations.

Gumi explained that his earlier remarks referred to a threat against his life from Boko Haram in 2012, not any present danger linked to the recent U.S. strikes. He emphasised that he is safe and living peacefully with his family, urging media outlets that spread the misinformation to retract their stories and apologise.

The cleric recounted that in the 2012 incident, assailants allegedly planning to kill him died when an explosive device detonated prematurely near his home. He stressed that there is no current plot against him and that the claims circulating on social media are unfounded.

Newsmaxng had reported that Gumi said he had been marked for elimination during the U.S. air strikes on Sokoto; a claim he now insists was misread and taken out of context from his comments on past security threats.