PRNigeria Fact-Check: Viral Video Threatening Christians Not AI-Generated, Alleged JIBWIS Link Unsubstantiated
A fact-checking investigation by PRNigeria has found no indication that a viral video showing uniformed youths allegedly threatening to attack Christian worshippers in Enugu and kill more people in Jos, Plateau State, was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). However, the investigation could not establish that the individuals were members of the Jama’atu Izalat al-Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) volunteer group, popularly known as Yan Agaji.
The findings followed widespread outrage over footage circulating on social media showing young men dressed in uniforms resembling those of the JIBWIS First Aid Group chanting in Hausa, with accompanying translations suggesting threats of religiously motivated violence.
The video, which gained prominence on October 26, 2026, reportedly featured calls for an AK-47 rifle to attack Christians during Sunday worship in Enugu, alongside references to further killings in Jos.
The footage generated widespread condemnation and renewed concerns about religious intolerance, hate speech and the potential exploitation of inflammatory content to provoke sectarian tensions.
According to PRNigeria‘s findings, the viral post attracted more than 522,000 views, 946 comments and 2,700 reposts on X, while a related Facebook publication also recorded considerable engagement.
As part of its verification process, PRNigeria subjected the footage to frame-by-frame examination using InVID, Hive Detector and other digital verification tools to assess whether it had been manipulated or generated through artificial intelligence.
The analysis found no evidence that the footage was AI-generated. However, the investigators could not independently establish its original recording date, location or the identities of those appearing in it.
Efforts to retrieve useful metadata were unsuccessful because the relevant information had been stripped during the video’s circulation on social media.
The investigation subsequently examined whether the uniforms worn by the individuals could conclusively establish their membership of JIBWIS.
PRNigeria confirmed that Yan Agaji is a humanitarian and first-aid volunteer group associated with JIBWIS, whose activities include emergency assistance, crowd management, religious gatherings and support services during pilgrimage operations.
However, the organisation’s existence and similarities between its official uniforms and those seen in the footage were insufficient to establish the identities or affiliations of the individuals involved.
Speaking to PRNigeria, the National Publicity Secretary of JIBWIS, Ahmad Muhammad, denied that the individuals had been identified as members of the organisation.
Read Also:
“Even the uniform is not entirely consistent with ours. For example, we usually carry our shoulder lanyard on the left, but these guys are carrying theirs on the right side. We don’t know them, and we rebuke them totally,” Muhammad said.
Security and counterterrorism expert Zakariyau Mukthar also questioned the consistency of the threatening statements with the established activities and religious orientation of JIBWIS.
Mukthar, who said he had studied religious organisations and extremist movements for nearly a decade, maintained that the violent rhetoric was more commonly associated with terrorist organisations such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
He suggested that the footage might have been deliberately staged to inflame religious tensions ahead of Nigeria’s forthcoming elections, although PRNigeria could not independently establish that allegation.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of JIBWIS, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, condemned the inflammatory statements and called on the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to investigate the footage and identify those responsible.
Bala Lau dissociated JIBWIS from the threats, insisting that incitement, intimidation and violence against religious communities were contrary to the organisation’s teachings.
The controversy also attracted reactions from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Amnesty International, which called for an independent investigation and appropriate action against anyone found responsible.
PRNigeria observed that the circulation of the footage demonstrated the dangers of inflammatory digital content, particularly when the identities and affiliations of those involved remain unverified.
The fact-checking organisation stressed that **although its technical examination found no evidence of AI generation, this did not establish the authenticity of the claims linking the individuals to JIBWIS.**
It concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove that members of the JIBWIS-affiliated *Yan Agaji* volunteer group threatened Christian worshippers in Enugu or called for further killings in Jos.
The investigation also found no evidence that JIBWIS authorised, endorsed or sanctioned the inflammatory statements.
PRNigeria consequently urged security agencies to establish the identities of those appearing in the footage, determine the circumstances of its recording and investigate the threats.
The findings underscore the distinction between determining whether a video is AI-generated and verifying the identities, affiliations and motives of the people appearing in it.
While the footage showed no detected signs of AI generation, the alleged involvement of JIBWIS remains unsubstantiated.
Read the full fact-check report here: PRNigeria Fact-Check: Did ‘Yan Agaji’ Threaten Christians in a Viral Video? https://prnigeria.com/2026/10/27/yan-agaji-threaten-christains/
