Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, has dismissed claims circulating on social media that he was arrested by United States soldiers in Nigeria, describing the reports as false and illogical.
The denial followed the spread of a viral image which allegedly showed Gumi being apprehended by US troops at a Nigerian airport.
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The image surfaced shortly after reports that President Donald Trump approved the deployment of a small US military team to Nigeria to support counterterrorism operations.
Reacting in a telephone interview with SaharaReporters on Thursday, Gumi questioned the basis of the claims, insisting that the US military has no authority to arrest him in Nigeria.
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“The US Army cannot arrest me in Nigeria. Why would the US Army come and arrest me here, and for what reason?” he asked.
He also rejected the authenticity of the viral image, describing it as fake and computer-generated.
“The picture is AI-generated. Even a layman can see that it is artificial,” he said.
Gumi stated clearly that he had not been arrested, adding that the reports were part of deliberate misinformation.
The cleric has remained a controversial figure, especially over his calls for dialogue with armed groups, a position that has continued to draw mixed reactions from the public.