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The Zamfara State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old man, Umar Ibrahim Gandi, over a viral video that showed a group of youths shouting for AK-47 rifles to attack Christians in Enugu and Jos, Plateau State.
State Police Commissioner Ahmad Bello revealed the arrest while addressing journalists in Gusau on Tuesday, saying the command had deployed intelligence resources to identify those involved and establish the circumstances surrounding the footage. Project reports
Police identified Gandi as hailing from Maradun local government area of Zamfara state and said he was being investigated for allegedly inciting violence, disturbing the peace and criminal intimidation.
According to police, preliminary findings indicated that the video was recorded on Friday, October 23, 2026. The suspect was reportedly on his way to the Aliyu Ibn Abi Thalib Mosque and was said to be involved, along with others, in providing security during Friday prayers and preaching at the mosque.
The footage, which went viral on Monday, shows a young man leading a group of boys in marching drills while singing in Hausa. A translation accompanying the video indicates that the leader calls for the use of AK-47 rifles to attack Christians in Enugu during Sunday worship before proceeding to Jos to kill more people described as non-believers.
The participants appear to be wearing uniforms associated with the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) first aid group, popularly known as the Izala movement. However, the organization has disputed the notion that the footage depicts its sanctioned activities.
The police condemned behavior likely to promote religious hatred and threaten public safety, assuring residents of all faiths of their commitment to protecting life and property. The command said the investigation would establish the circumstances of the recording and the alleged crimes.
The NCA requires a thorough investigation
The Northern Christian Association (NCA), through its president, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, has called on security agencies to investigate the video and establish facts regarding the alleged threats.
Hayab described the chants as barbaric, shameful and a serious security concern, warning that religiously motivated threats of violence should not be dismissed as normal social media content.
He urged the Department of State Services, police and other relevant authorities to determine where and when the video was recorded, identify those involved and determine whether the statements were translated accurately.
The NCA president stressed that the matter should not be reduced to a religious disagreement but treated as a potential security threat requiring professional investigation.
He also called on religious leaders, parents and institutions to promote tolerance, discipline, respect for human life and peaceful coexistence among young people.
The association argues that no Nigerian should be threatened or intimidated because of their religious beliefs, urging authorities to ensure that anyone found guilty is dealt with in accordance with the law.
Amnesty International expresses concern for children
Amnesty International Nigeria also called for an immediate and independent investigation, expressing concern that children and teenagers appeared to be participating in marching exercises led by an adult.
The human rights organization described the slogans as a disturbing demonstration of children being exposed to hatred and violence.
He called on security agencies to investigate the organizers of the exercise, establish the source and location of the footage, examine the chants and review the messages taught during the activities.
Amnesty also urged the authorities to protect the children involved and provide adequate psychological and educational support where necessary, while ensuring that anyone found responsible for promoting violence and religious intolerance is held accountable.
The organization cited protections under the Child Rights Act and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, warning against exposing minors to hateful rhetoric, militarized drills and extremist indoctrination.
The intervention broadened the debate beyond alleged threats against Christians to include the responsibility of adults and institutions to protect children from messages that encourage violence against people of other faiths.
JIBWIS disavows the video and calls for prosecution
JIBWIS National President Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau condemned the statements in the footage and called on the DSS, police and other security agencies to identify those responsible.
In a statement, Bala Lau said the alleged threats and inflammatory remarks were contrary to the organization’s principles, teachings and goals.
He cautioned against concluding that the people in the video were acting on behalf of JIBWIS simply because they appeared in uniforms associated with its first responder group.
The president said wearing the uniform or appearing alongside group members does not automatically establish that an individual officially represents the organization or has its authorization.
Bala Lau also expressed concern that the incident could be an attempt to misrepresent JIBWIS and damage its reputation. He highlighted the organization’s recent international conference in Abuja, which brought together Christian leaders, Muslim scholars and other participants to promote interreligious dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
A faction of JIBWIS led by Sheikh Yahaya Jingir also condemned the video. Its president of Internet operations, Mallam Ibrahim Maina, told The PUNCH that the faction was not happy with the development and did not support threats against people of other faiths.
Maina said he had heard the footage may have been recorded around 2020, although that claim has not been independently verified.
Lere Olayinka, other Nigerians react
The video also evoked a strong reaction from Lere Olayinka, media assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who drew the attention of the DSS and the police to the footage.
Olayinka shared a translation of chants attributed to the group’s leader and urged security agencies to investigate the alleged threats.
The translation suggests that the speaker called for an AK-47 rifle to attack people in Enugu during Sunday worship and later traveled to Jos to kill more people described as non-believers.
The footage sparked widespread religious and ethnic condemnation, with Nigerians calling for the identification and prosecution of anyone found responsible.
Some commentators expressed concern about the possibility of children being exposed to violent religious rhetoric, while others cautioned against attributing individuals’ alleged conduct to an entire religious community.
The controversy has also renewed calls for religious leaders to denounce incitement and cooperate with security agencies investigating threats against Nigerians because of their faith.
Questions remain about the circumstances of the recording
Although police announced an arrest, several questions about the video remain central to the investigation, including the roles of other participants, the circumstances under which the chants were recorded and whether the activity was authorized by any organization.
The claim that the footage was recorded in 2020 had been circulating before the police commissioner said preliminary findings placed the recording on October 23, 2026. The discrepancy highlights the need for authorities to establish the origin and timeline of the video through evidence.
The police investigation is expected to clarify the suspect’s alleged role, identify any other people involved and establish whether any crimes were committed.
For the leadership of NCA, Amnesty International and JIBWIS, the priority is to establish the truth and ensure accountability without allowing the incident to deepen religious suspicion or provoke retaliatory hostility.
The arrest marks a significant development in the response to the viral footage, but the authorities’ ultimate responsibility will be to establish the facts and ensure that any prosecution is supported by evidence and conducted in accordance with the law.
