Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to launch an immediate and independent investigation into a viral video showing children and teenagers participating in marching drills led by adults wearing uniforms associated with Jama’atu Izalatu Bidi’a wa’iqamatus-Sunnah (JIBWIS) in northern Nigeria.
The human rights organisation expressed concern over slogans allegedly chanted by the young participants, including calls for the provision of AK-47 rifles to attack people described as “infidels” in Enugu and Jos on a Sunday.
Amnesty International condemned the reported chants, describing them as an alarming display of children being exposed to rhetoric that promotes violence, hatred and intolerance.
It warned that such activities could deepen religious hostility, encourage violence and undermine peaceful coexistence.
The organisation urged authorities to investigate the organisers, establish the source and location of the footage, and examine its content, including the slogans and curricula used in the youth activities.
It also called for appropriate protection measures for the minors involved, including safeguards against radicalisation and access to psychological and educational support.
Amnesty International further urged the authorities to hold accountable any individuals or religious organisations found to have exploited children to promote intolerance or undermine religious freedom.
The organisation stressed that protecting children from hateful rhetoric, militarised drills and extremist indoctrination was a state obligation under national and international law.
It cited the Child Rights Act and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as frameworks underpinning children’s rights to protection from violence and harmful practices.
According to the organisation, using structured youth programmes or religious training groups to promote hostile ideologies threatens public safety and undermines freedom of religion.
Amnesty International maintained that an independent investigation was necessary to establish the facts, protect the children involved and ensure accountability for any wrongdoing.
