Amnesty International Nigeria has called on Nigerian authorities to immediately and independently investigate a disturbing viral video allegedly showing teenagers and children participating in a marching drill led by adults wearing uniforms associated with Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a wa Iqamatus-Sunnah (JIBWIS), popularly known as Izala.
The video, which has circulated widely on social media, has generated public concern because of chants reportedly calling for participants to be given AK-47 rifles to attack people described as “infidels” in Enugu and Jos, particularly during Sunday worship.
According to translations circulating alongside the footage, the drill leader appears to call for an AK-47 to travel to Enugu, described in the chant as a place of “infidels”, and attack worshippers on a Sunday. The chant subsequently references Jos and contains further violent language. Reports have also described the participants as young people wearing uniforms associated with the JIBWIS First Aid Group, locally known as ’Yan Agaji.
The content has understandably raised serious concerns about the possible exposure of children to religious hatred, violent rhetoric and militarised forms of training.
However, the identities of the individuals in the footage, the precise location and date of the recording, and whether the activity was officially authorised by JIBWIS leadership have not yet been independently established. The appearance of a particular uniform does not, by itself, prove that an organisation officially sanctioned the statements or conduct shown in the video.
That is precisely why a formal investigation is necessary.
Amnesty International Nigeria is urging the authorities to establish who organised the drill, identify those responsible for leading it, determine where and when the footage was recorded, verify its authenticity and examine the context in which the chants were made.
Authorities should also investigate the training materials, slogans and educational programmes used during youth activities connected to the group or any other organisation involved. If children were indeed exposed to messaging encouraging violence against people on the basis of their religion, appropriate steps should be taken to protect them and prevent further exposure to extremist or hateful rhetoric.
The Nigerian government also has clear obligations regarding the protection of children. Nigeria’s Child Rights Act prohibits the recruitment of children into the armed forces and requires that children are not directly involved in military operations or hostilities. The Act also criminalises exploitation of children where such exploitation is prejudicial to their welfare.
Internationally, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child requires states to protect children from physical and mental violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Its Article 38 establishes additional protections relating to children and armed conflict, while Article 39 provides for the physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of child victims of abuse and armed conflict.
The UN Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict further strengthens these protections by requiring states to prevent the recruitment and use of people under 18 by armed groups in hostilities.
Beyond the legal questions, the episode raises a broader concern about Nigeria’s already fragile religious and communal relations. Enugu and Jos have both experienced serious episodes of communal and religious tension in the past. Consequently, rhetoric that appears to encourage attacks on worshippers cannot responsibly be dismissed without examination.
At the same time, any investigation should be evidence-based and should not be used to stigmatise an entire religious community. JIBWIS describes itself as an Islamic organisation focused on religious education, community development, humanitarian activities and promoting unity.
The appropriate response, therefore, is neither collective condemnation nor premature dismissal.
It is a transparent investigation.
If the footage is authentic and individuals are found to have used children to promote religious hatred, incite violence or facilitate extremist indoctrination, those responsible should be held accountable under applicable Nigerian law. The children involved should, meanwhile, be treated primarily as minors requiring protection, assessment and appropriate educational and psychological support.
Protecting Nigerian children from violence, hatred and exploitation must remain a responsibility shared by the government, religious institutions, parents and communities.
No religious teaching, youth programme or organised drill should become a vehicle for teaching children to regard fellow Nigerians as enemies because of their faith.
The authorities must establish the facts, protect the children and, where wrongdoing is proven, ensure accountability—while safeguarding Nigeria’s constitutional commitment to religious freedom and peaceful coexistence.
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