Image of Ahmad Gumi. Photo source: Daily Trust.
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Claim: A Facebook user shared a video showing Gumi cautioning a bandit.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s analysis revealed that the video was created using AI. Besides, there is no credible report that the popular Islamic cleric warned bandits to desist from causing terrorism.
Full Text
Ahmad Gumi is a prominent Nigerian Islamic cleric known for mediating between the government and armed groups in Northern Nigeria.
Over the years, he has been involved in dialogue efforts to address insecurity and negotiate the release of kidnapped victims.
Recently, a Facebook user, Medinok, shared a video allegedly showing the cleric cautioning a bandit in what appears to be a public gathering.
In the video, a man believed to be Gumi is seated as he addresses another individual, who suddenly stoops as the warning is delivered.
The voice in the footage says: “You will kneel and heed the warning or face the consequences… You will face the consequences of your actions.”
As of Monday, Mar. 2, 2026, the post had generated 3.7 million views, 52,900 likes, 901 comments, and 2,600 shares.
The post sparked mixed reactions among users. While some users appeared to believe the video was authentic, Wale Azeez asked, “What has he done, and besides, which peace can Gumi offer?”
Another user, Khalid Hamza, questioned its credibility, stating, “It’s AI, it is not true.”
Given Nigeria’s history of insecurity involving armed groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), such content can easily trigger fear and spread rapidly online. This prompted DUBAWA to fact-check the video to determine its authenticity.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search to determine whether there were any reports of Gumi cautioning any bandit.
Considering the public setting depicted in the video, with a crowd present, it is unlikely that a genuine event of this nature would go unreported, especially given Nigeria’s heightened sensitivity to terrorism-related developments.
However, there were no reports of the incident by any credible local or international media outlets.
DUBAWA conducted a frame-by-frame analysis of the viral video and observed multiple inconsistencies suggesting digital manipulation.
First, the individual being cautioned initially had a cloth covering his face. However, midway through the video, the fabric suddenly disappeared without any visible physical movement or interaction to remove it. His face then became clearly visible.
Similarly, the badge visible on the individual’s outfit at the beginning of the clip changes in subsequent frames without explanation. There was no natural motion or camera angle change that would justify its absence.
We also observed that another person sitting behind him, dressed in blue, had his face covered at one point in the footage. Moments later, the facial covering vanished on its own. These inconsistencies occurred without any physical action, indicating flaws in the digital rendering.
To further verify its authenticity, DUBAWA analysed the clip using Hive moderation, an AI detection tool.
The tool revealed that the video is 95 per cent likely to be generated by Artificial intelligence (AI).
Screenshot of the AI analysis result.
We also used TruthScanAI, an open-sourced tool for detecting AI-generated content, to analyse the video
The result yielded a high confidence rating that the video was AI-generated with a 91% probability.
Conclusion
The viral video allegedly showing Ahmad Gumi cautioning a bandit is false. Multiple visual inconsistencies, including disappearing facial coverings and badges, and AI detection analysis confirm that the footage was digitally manipulated.
