Amnesty International Nigeria has urged Nigerian authorities to launch an immediate, independent investigation into a viral video showing children chanting violent religious slogans during a marching drill.
The footage shows boys jogging in formation under the direction of adult coordinators wearing uniforms associated with Jama’atu Izalatu Bidi’a wa’iqamatus-Sunnah (JIBWIS).
In a statement posted on its X account on Monday, the rights organisation said the children were chanting slogans demanding AK-47 rifles to attack Christians in Enugu and Jos on a Sunday. It described the chants as “a vicious display of children being manipulated and indoctrinated with religious violence and hatred.”
The video has circulated widely on Facebook and X. It reportedly captures the children calling for assault rifles and singing about travelling to the two cities to attack worshippers.
Some of the chants refer to people described as “infidels”. One speaker calls for an AK-47 to open fire on worshippers, describes Enugu as a “land of infidels” and imitates the sound of gunfire.
Amnesty International Nigeria said the authorities must identify and investigate the instructors, establish where and when the video was recorded, verify its source and examine its content. It also called for a review of the curricula used in the youth activities and insisted that the organisation responsible must be held accountable.
The group urged officials to protect the children involved from radicalisation and provide appropriate psychological and educational support. It also called for accountability for any individuals or religious groups found to be using minors to promote intolerance or encourage violations of religious freedom.
“Protecting children from exposure to hateful rhetoric, militarised drills and extreme indoctrination is an obligation of the state under national and international law,” the organisation said.
It added that the Child Rights Act and international frameworks, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, protect children from violence, hate speech and recruitment or training for paramilitary activities.
The group warned that using youth programmes or religious training to spread hostile ideologies threatens children’s safety and undermines freedom of religion.
