Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, has debunked claims circulating online that he was apprehended by United States military personnel in Nigeria, dismissing the reports as false and the accompanying image as a product of artificial intelligence.
The rumours began spreading on Thursday, the 5th of February 5, 2026, after a photograph surfaced on social media allegedly showing the cleric being restrained by U.S. soldiers at an airport. The image quickly went viral, fueling speculation that the supposed arrest was linked to an international counterterrorism operation.
Reacting to the claims while speaking with journalists on Thursday, Gumi firmly denied the story, describing it as baseless and irrational.
“The US Army cannot arrest me in Nigeria, why will the US army come and arrest me in Nigeria, for what reason?” he said.
He also addressed the authenticity of the viral photograph, insisting it had been digitally manipulated and did not reflect reality.
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“The image is Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated. Even a layman will know that the image is AI,” Gumi said, warning the public against believing misleading online content.
The cleric further clarified his status, stating unequivocally, “I have not been arrested,” while stressing that he remains free and within the country.
Despite his clarification, the image continued to circulate alongside captions alleging that he was intercepted by U.S. troops at a Nigerian airport while allegedly attempting to flee to Turkey. The posts also made unsubstantiated claims linking him to terrorist groups and their bases, accusations for which no evidence has been provided.