Operatives of the Zamfara State Police Command have arrested a 22-year-old man, Umar Ibrahim Gandi Maradun, over a viral video allegedly showing youths chanting statements threatening violence against people described as infidels.
The video, which circulated on social media on Monday, reportedly showed youths wearing uniforms associated with the First Aid Group of Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), demanding an AK-47 rifle and threatening attacks in Enugu and Jos.
The chants prompted calls from JIBWIS and Amnesty International for security agencies to identify and arrest those involved.
In a statement issued on Tuesday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, said Maradun was arrested over statements allegedly capable of threatening public peace and peaceful coexistence.
The police said the Zamfara command had activated its intelligence resources, begun investigations and engaged JIBWIS leaders at the national and state levels. According to the statement, the organisation disassociated itself from the alleged conduct and handed the suspect over to the police.
The police added that Maradun would be charged in court and urged the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and refrain from sharing the video in ways that could heighten religious tensions.
A separate statement by the Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, A.M. Bello, reportedly said the video was recorded on Friday, October 23, 2026, while the youths were on their way to provide security during prayers at a mosque.
Maradun reportedly joined JIBWIS in 2025 and gained admission to study Mass Communication at Zamfara State University, Talata Mafara.
