The Zamfara State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old man over a viral video. Umar Ibrahim Gandi Maradun was seen chanting “Give us rifles to go and kill Christians” in the footage. He wore the uniform of the First Aid Group of Jama’atu Izalatil Bidi’a Wa’ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS). He was also in the company of pupils from two Islamic schools in Maradun Local Government Area.
JIBWIS is a major Salafi Islamic movement founded in 1978. Its First Aid Group, known as ‘Yan Agaji, provides volunteer services. The group has recently promoted interfaith dialogue. In 2026, it held an international conference in Abuja with Christian leaders. The video contradicts that messaging. It also raises questions about child indoctrination. The children in the footage appear young. They were marching in formation. They were repeating the chant.
The Commissioner of Police, Ahmad M. Bello, disclosed the arrest at a press briefing in Gusau on Tuesday. He said the video was recorded on Friday, 23 October 2026, while the suspect was on his way to a mosque for security duty. The police deployed intelligence resources after the video emerged. JIBWIS leadership at national and state levels engaged with the police. The organisation distanced itself from the suspect’s conduct and handed him over for investigation. The suspect could face charges of incitement to violence, disturbance of public peace and criminal intimidation under Sections 77, 78 and 380(b) of the Penal Code Law.
JIBWIS National Chairman Abdullahi Bala-Lau condemned the footage. He urged the DSS, police and other agencies to investigate and prosecute anyone found culpable. He said the remarks are “entirely foreign” to the organisation’s values. Amnesty International also called for an investigation, describing the slogans as “a vicious display of children being manipulated and indoctrinated with violence and hatred.”
Winners: The police, which made an arrest. JIBWIS, if its condemnation is accepted. Amnesty International, which gains a platform. Losers: The suspect, who faces prosecution. The children in the video, who were used to spread hatred. Christians in Enugu and Jos, who were named as targets. JIBWIS, whose reputation is damaged. The state, which faces another test of religious tolerance.
Bottom Line: A young man chanted for rifles to kill Christians. He wore a religious group’s uniform. He was with children. The group handed him to the police. The police are investigating. The courts will decide. The children were indoctrinated. The targets were named. The chant is a threat. Nigeria must confront it with the full weight of the law.