A viral video showing a group of youths dressed in uniforms associated with Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), popularly known as Izala, chanting for AK-47 rifles to attack Christians in Enugu and Jos has sparked nationwide outrage.
The footage, which surfaced on social media on Sunday, October 26, shows a young man leading a group of boys in brown uniforms and blue berets – identified as the First Aid Group (Yan Agaji), the volunteer wing of JIBWIS – on a jogging drill while singing in Hausa.
According to multiple translations of the chant circulating online, the leader is heard saying:
> “Give me AK-47 so that I will go to Enugu, the land of infidels, and kill them on Sunday while they are worshipping and clapping. Give me AK-47 again so I will go to Jos and kill more infidels. That is the training, that is the Sunnah.”
The group repeatedly chants “Give us AK-47, we should go to Enugu, where infidels are” while imitating gunfire sounds with “Rudu rududu” and “I will give them fire.”
The exact date and location where the video was recorded have not been independently verified, and it is not yet confirmed if the individuals are officially registered members of JIBWIS or if the action was sanctioned by the leadership.
*Amnesty International, Nigerians Demand Probe*
Reacting on Monday, Amnesty International Nigeria called for an immediate and independent investigation into the footage.
“The slogans are a vicious display of children being manipulated and indoctrinated with violence and hatred,” Amnesty said, urging authorities to identify those involved, establish the source, location and authenticity of the video, and review the curricula and songs used in youth activities.
The rights group also cited the Child Rights Act and UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, warning against exposing minors to hate speech and militarised drills.
On X and Facebook, Nigerians have tagged the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force, demanding urgent identification and arrest of those in the video, describing it as open incitement to religious violence.
JIBWIS, founded in Jos in February 1978 by Sheikh Isma’ila Idris, is one of Nigeria’s largest Salafi movements. As of press time, the organization is yet to issue an official statement on the video.
