Outrage as viral video shows JIBWIS members demanding AK-47s, threaten to kill ‘Infidels’ in Enugu, Jos on a Sunday

A disturbing video showing a group of young people chanting for AK-47 rifles and threatening to attack people in Enugu, Enugu State, and Jos, Plateau State, has sparked concern over possible religiously motivated violence.

The footage, captured by VeryNigerian, shows the youths jogging in formation while repeatedly demanding firearms and singing about travelling to the two cities to attack people they describe as “infidels”.

The individuals are reportedly members of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), popularly known as Izala, an Islamic movement in Nigeria. However, their identities and alleged affiliation with the group have not been independently verified.

In one section of the video, a speaker calls for an AK-47 rifle to travel to Enugu and open fire on people while they worship on a Sunday. The speaker describes the city as a place inhabited by “infidels” and imitates the sound of gunfire.

The speaker subsequently calls for another rifle to travel to Jos, where he threatens to kill more people he describes as “infidels”.

During the exercise, the group repeatedly chants, “Give us AK-47,” while singing about travelling to Enugu.

“We should go to Enugu. We should go to Enugu. We should go to Enugu,” the youths chant as they jog.

They then repeat the phrase, “Where infidels are,” followed by references to Sunday, apparently alluding to attacks on people attending religious services.

In another part of the recording, the group appears to threaten violence, repeatedly chanting, “I will give them fire!”

The youths continue demanding AK-47 rifles before mentioning Jos in their chants.

“We should go to Jos. We should go to Jos,” they sing.

The footage appears to show an organised physical exercise accompanied by chants referencing firearms, religious hostility and threats against people in the two cities.

The explicit references to attacking people during Sunday worship have raised concerns about the potential for violence against residents and religious communities in Enugu and Jos.

Concerns Over Security Implications

JIBWIS, also known as Izala, is a Salafi Islamic movement founded in Jos in February 1978 by Sheikh Isma’ila Idris.

However, the appearance of individuals in a video does not, by itself, establish that the organisation officially endorses their statements or activities.

The footage’s authenticity, the identities of the participants, their alleged organisational affiliation and the circumstances surrounding the recording remain matters requiring independent verification.

Given the explicit threats against people in Enugu and Jos, the video warrants serious attention from the relevant security agencies, including efforts to establish where and when it was recorded and whether the individuals pose a credible threat.

As of the information contained in the report, no official response from the security agencies or JIBWIS leadership was provided.

The incident highlights the importance of investigating threats of religiously motivated violence while avoiding the attribution of the actions or statements of individuals to an entire religious community.

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