An online video showing a group of young people singing in Hausa and demanding AK-47 rifles to kill Christians in Enugu and Jos has generated significant debate online, with many netizens calling on the government to take immediate action.
The original source of the video remains unverified. However, reports indicate that those featured in the clip are members of the First Aid Group of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), popularly known as Izala.
In the video, members of the group are seen chanting hate songs in Hausa and calling for the death of Christians in Enugu and Jos.
Although there has been no official statement or action taken regarding the group’s provocative rhetoric, many bloggers and internet users are sharing the clip, urging the government to act quickly. Some commentators are also advising Christians to prepare and defend themselves against potential attacks.
However, Safwan Umar Yahaya, a Facebook user who describes himself as a digital journalist and researcher, condemned the young men’s chant in the video.
Identifying himself as a former member of the group, he wrote: “I condemn this rhetoric in the strongest possible terms. Religious affiliation, group membership, uniforms, or the description of an activity as training must never become an excuse for language that glorifies the killing of innocent people. Threats against worshippers are not entertainment to be dismissed casually, particularly in a country already burdened by religious suspicion, communal violence, and insecurity.”
Yahaya, who claimed he had maintained ties with the group for 15 to 20 years, rejected any attempt to present such statements as an acceptable representation of the organisation’s values and purpose. He urged his followers to distinguish between an entire organisation and the conduct of specific individuals associated with it.
According to him, the First Aid Group is a voluntary service arm within JIBWIS. He stated: “Its identity and public credibility should be measured by its service, discipline, conduct, and adherence to its rules—not by the provocative words of any individual member.”
He added that “the alleged conduct of one individual cannot represent the entire JIBWIS movement.”
Yahaya called on Engr. Mustapha Imam Sitti—whom he identified as the National Director of the JIBWIS First Aid Group—to address the offensive video with the urgency it deserves.
His words: “My appeal to Engr. Mustapha Imam Sitti and the entire leadership is simple: do not allow this incident to be ignored, trivialized, or repeated. Protect the integrity of the organisation by demonstrating that its rules apply to everyone.”
He added: “Religious devotion must never be used to glorify the murder of innocent people. No individual should invoke the name of religion to threaten worshippers or encourage violence against people because of their beliefs.”
Despite his appeal, many respondents to his post insist that the rhetoric in the video reflects the core beliefs of the group. They maintain that the government must take decisive action against the sect before it poses a greater threat to law-abiding citizens