Prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmed Gumi has dismissed viral reports and images on social media alleging that he was taken into custody by United States military operatives in Nigeria, describing the image as Artificial Intelligence, AI.
The speculation followed the circulation of a photograph on Thursday, February 5, which purportedly showed Gumi being detained by U.S. soldiers at an airport.
The image rapidly gained traction online, with accompanying claims framing the supposed arrest as part of a foreign-led counterterrorism mission on Nigerian soil.
Addressing newsmen on Thursday, Gumi rejected the allegations outright, describing them as illogical.
“The US Army cannot arrest me in Nigeria, why will the US army come and arrest me in Nigeria, for what reason?” he said.
Addressing the widely shared image, the cleric insisted it was not genuine, stating that it had been digitally fabricated.
“The image is Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated. Even a layman will know that the image is AI,” Gumi said, emphasizing that the picture was misleading and should not be believed.
He reiterated his position clearly, saying, “I have not been arrested,” and stressed that the reports making the rounds online were entirely untrue, noting that he remains at liberty in Nigeria.
The controversial image was circulated alongside text claiming that Gumi had been seized by U.S. military personnel at a Nigerian airport.
Those claims further alleged that he was attempting to escape to Turkey, citing unproven accusations linking him to terrorist organizations and their operational bases.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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