Shehu Sani Calls For Arrest Of Man In Viral Video Threatening Christians, Defends JIBWIS

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has called for the investigation and prosecution of a young man seen in a viral video allegedly threatening Christians in Enugu State, while insisting that his views do not represent Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS).

Sani said the individual should be investigated and brought to book over the inflammatory remarks, but warned against attributing his alleged threats to the Islamic organisation or its members.

The former lawmaker made this known in a follow-up post on his verified Facebook page on Monday, following his earlier defence of JIBWIS amid public outrage over the footage.

“The viral video that showed a young man threatening Christians is condemnable. He should be investigated and brought to Book,” Sani wrote.

He added that the individual’s remarks should not be interpreted as the official position of JIBWIS or its members.

“However, his inflammatory views doesn’t represent the official views of JIBWIS nor that of its members,” he stated.

Describing JIBWIS as a peaceful organisation, Sani said it was made up of volunteers committed to humanitarian activities and Islamic religious causes through education and community service.

According to him, “JIBWIS is a civil and non violent group of volunteers dedicated to humanitarian and peaceful Islamic religious causes through education and community service and engagement.”

He further maintained that the organisation had never supported violence against any religious group since its establishment.

“Since decades of its founding, the group has never supported or ever aligned itself with any form of violence against any faith. JIBWIS has always been in the forefront of preaching religious tolerance and peace,” he added.

Sani concluded by cautioning against using the alleged conduct of one individual to judge an entire religious organisation or faith.

“The deranged views of one person cannot be used as the opinion of a group or a faith,” he said.

The controversy followed the circulation of a video showing a man leading a group of boys as they marched along a street while singing in Hausa.

The chant calls for an AK-47 rifle to enable the singer to travel to Enugu and open fire on people attending church services on Sunday. Translated lyrics also describe Enugu as a land of “infidels” and include sounds imitating gunfire.

The uniform worn by those in the footage has been associated with the First Aid Group (FAG), the humanitarian and volunteer service arm of JIBWIS, whose members are locally known as ’Yan Agaji.

However, the uniform alone does not establish whether the individuals in the video are registered members of the organisation or whether the activity was authorised by its leadership.

The footage has sparked concerns over religious intolerance, threats against worshippers and the potential exposure of children to violent rhetoric, prompting calls for the authorities to identify those involved and investigate the alleged threats.