Nigeria, May 23 -- Prominent Islamic cleric, Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi, has come out swinging against what he describes as a wave of deliberate misquotations and doctored materials falsely linking him to support for banditry in Nigeria.

In a strongly worded press release issued on May 23, 2026, Gumi accused certain ethnic-interest groups, prejudice-driven individuals, and sectional internet content creators of twisting his words in media interviews, public lectures, and broader discourse on tackling banditry. He claimed these actors deploy sensational and outrageous headlines purely to chase viewership, even at the cost of human suffering and sacrifice.

"I hereby state unequivocally that any video clip, written statement, or message attrib...