A recent fact check published in January 2026 reviewed social media claims that Sheikh Ahmad Gumi had been arrested by the United States or the International Criminal Court.
Investigators found no credible evidence that any such arrest occurred. Photos and posts circulating with that claim were misleading and did not show an actual arrest.
Searches of official sources — including the U.S. State Department and the ICC — did not show any record of an arrest of Gumi by U.S. forces or by international authorities.
News coverage about Sheikh Gumi focuses on calls by some Nigerian groups for his arrest or investigation over controversial statements and engagement with bandits, but these are calls for possible action, not reports of U.S. detention. Such discussions are internal and relate to Nigerian civil society or political debates.
Sheikh Ahmad Gumi is a well-known Nigerian Islamic scholar who has sometimes drawn controversy for his engagement with armed groups as a mediator and his public comments about insecurity in northern Nigeria.
Various advocacy groups in Nigeria have urged authorities to investigate or arrest him under local laws, but no authoritative source confirms he was detained by U.S. soldiers or foreign troops.
Verdict: False — there’s no credible evidence Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has been arrested by U.S. troops at an airport or while attempting to flee Nigeria.
