Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) has urged Nigerian security agencies to investigate violent remarks attributed to a participant in a circulating video and identify those involved, saying the remarks conflict with the organization’s principles.
National Chairman Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau made the appeal in an Oct. 26 statement, asking the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force and other agencies to examine the circumstances and take legal action against anyone found responsible. PRNigeria and Premium Times reported Bala Lau’s appeal.
PRNigeria reported that the footage shows a person wearing the JIBWIS First Aid Group uniform, jogging and discussing obtaining AK-47 rifles for a Sunday trip to Enugu. JIBWIS said the uniform alone did not show that its wearer had authority to speak for the group. The identities, ages and affiliation of those shown, as well as the recording date, have not been established.
The PUNCH reported that a translation accompanying the video also referred to Jos, in Plateau State, and described those shown as children and teenagers. The newspaper said Amnesty International Nigeria called for an independent investigation and urged authorities to protect and support any minors involved.
The PUNCH also reported that a separate JIBWIS faction led by Sheikh Yahaya Jingir condemned the video. Mallam Ibrahim Maina, whom the paper identified as the faction’s chairman of internet operations, said he had heard the footage might date to around 2020. The PUNCH said that timing was unconfirmed.
The PUNCH described JIBWIS’ First Aid Group as the organization’s humanitarian and volunteer service arm. PRNigeria reported that Bala Lau pointed to a recent Abuja gathering of Christian leaders and Muslim scholars as an example of JIBWIS’ commitment to interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
