*Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau.
The National Chairman of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, has called on security agencies to investigate a viral video showing a man dressed in the organisation’s First Aid Group uniform allegedly calling for the provision of AK-47 rifles to launch an attack in Enugu.
Sheikh Bala Lau condemned the video, describing the reported threats as disturbing, while urging the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to identify the individuals involved and bring anyone found culpable to justice in accordance with the law.
The JIBWIS National Chairman’s position was contained in a statement issued by the organisation, JIBWIS Nigeria.
According to the statement, the video shows a man participating in a jogging exercise while making provocative remarks calling for AK-47 rifles to enable the participants to travel to Enugu on Sunday and carry out an attack.
The organisation strongly dissociated itself from the statements, stressing that violence, intimidation and threats against any community were contrary to its principles, teachings and objectives.
Sheikh Bala Lau emphasised that an individual’s appearance in JIBWIS First Aid Group uniform, or presence among members of the group, did not automatically establish that the person was acting on behalf of the organisation or had its authorisation.
He urged security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the video, including the identity of the man, his actual affiliation, the circumstances surrounding the recording and the motives of those involved.
The cleric also expressed concern that the incident could be an attempt by individuals or external interests to misrepresent JIBWIS and undermine its reputation.
He maintained that the organisation should not be held responsible for statements allegedly made by individuals whose identities, affiliations and authorisation had yet to be established.
To underscore the organisation’s commitment to peaceful coexistence, Sheikh Bala Lau recalled that JIBWIS had recently hosted an international conference in Abuja attended by Christian leaders, Muslim scholars from different Islamic schools of thought, prominent personalities and participants from various parts of the world.
He said the conference was organised to promote interfaith dialogue, mutual understanding, religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence among people of different religious and ethnic backgrounds.
The JIBWIS leader questioned the basis for associating an organisation that had invested in building bridges across religious and ethnic divides with statements advocating violence against fellow Nigerians.
He further stated that, throughout its approximately 48 years of existence, JIBWIS had remained committed to propagating Islamic teachings, promoting the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), moral reformation, education and humanitarian services, alongside peaceful coexistence among people irrespective of their religion, ethnicity or geographical origin.
The organisation reiterated its call for a comprehensive investigation, stressing the need for security agencies to establish the facts surrounding the video and take appropriate legal action against anyone found to have made or supported credible threats of violence.