Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has claimed that he was secretly warned by security sources that his name was listed among individuals allegedly marked for elimination alongside members of the Boko Haram terrorist group.
Gumi made the allegation while addressing his congregation, saying he received an early-morning phone call from a source in Abuja who informed him of discussions held at a high-level security meeting. According to him, the caller declined to be identified but cautioned that his name had been mentioned among those purportedly targeted.
“They called me from Abuja and told me there was a security meeting. They said my name had been mentioned and that I would be eliminated,” the cleric said, questioning the criteria used to label individuals as terrorists.
Gumi went further to accuse the United States of playing a role in the emergence and persistence of Boko Haram, alleging that foreign interventions had worsened Nigeria’s insecurity rather than resolving it. He claimed that global powers often claimed to be fighting terrorism while contributing to violence and instability.
The cleric also blamed Nigeria’s deepening insecurity and social divisions on what he described as misleading narratives and destructive policies linked to foreign interests, particularly under former US President Donald Trump. He argued that these influences had fuelled division by portraying certain religious groups as exclusive victims of violence.
According to Gumi, Nigerian political leaders and religious scholars have failed to speak out or provide moral leadership as the country drifted deeper into crisis. He lamented what he described as widespread silence and withdrawal among those who should be guiding the nation.
He further argued that no sovereign nation should accept external interference that promotes division along religious or social lines, warning that such actions undermine unity and national cohesion.
Gumi accused political and religious elites of abandoning dialogue, saying Nigerians were now facing hardship, oppression and denial of rights. He warned that fear, silence and deepening divisions were dragging the country backwards and stressed that continued inaction by leaders and clerics would only worsen Nigeria’s challenges.
“This is the situation we are in, and it is pulling the country down,” he said.
