Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi has claimed that his name was allegedly mentioned for targeted elimination as a Boko Haram figure during a national security discussion, an assertion he made in a video message to his followers.
Gumi said he received an early morning phone call from an unnamed source in Abuja on the same day a bombing occurred and United States forces conducted air strikes against ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) positions in Sokoto State. The caller reportedly told him there was a high-level security briefing underway and that his name had been listed among those to be eliminated as a Boko Haram member.
In the video he posted on his Facebook page, Gumi strongly criticised foreign military involvement in Nigeria, especially by the United States, arguing that such interventions deepen insecurity rather than solve it. “They claim to have come here to fight terrorists, but they are the actual terrorists,” he said, questioning the narrative around external operations against extremist groups.
He also expressed frustration with political and religious leaders in northern Nigeria, suggesting they have been largely silent despite repeated attacks by Boko Haram and ISIS-linked groups. Gumi accused fellow religious scholars of failing to challenge what he described as misleading claims and of offering support disproportionately to Christians in the context of insecurity responses.
The United States carried out air strikes in Sokoto State on December 25, 2025, targeting ISWAP militants, following a statement by former U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. would take strong action against groups killing Christians in Nigeria.
Gumi’s claims have continued to stir debate across the country, especially given his past engagement with armed groups as part of dialogue efforts. While Nigerian security agencies and the United States government have not publicly responded to his allegations, the comments have once again placed the cleric at the centre of Nigeria’s complex security conversation.
