Lere Olayinka, a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has raised the alarm over a video allegedly showing individuals making threats to kill Christians in Enugu and Jos, urging the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the footage.
https://x.com/OlayinkaLere/status/2114499984208859303
Olayinka raised the concern in a post on social media, tagging the official accounts of the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force and calling for the security agencies’ attention to the video.
According to a translation provided by an individual who interpreted the speech in the video, the speaker allegedly called for an AK-47 rifle, claiming he would travel to Enugu to attack Christians while they were worshipping in church on a Sunday.
The translated statement further alleged that the speaker described Enugu as a land of infidels and made verbal imitations of gunfire while speaking about killing worshippers.
The translation also attributed to the speaker a further request for an AK-47 rifle to travel to Jos, Plateau State, where he allegedly threatened to kill more people he referred to as infidels.
The authenticity, context and accuracy of the translation could not be independently established at the time of filing this report. It was also not immediately clear where or when the video was recorded or the identity of the individual speaking in it.
The allegations have raised concerns about the potential threat of religiously motivated violence, particularly given the history of insecurity and communal violence in parts of Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria.
Calls for an investigation are expected to focus on establishing the authenticity of the footage, identifying the speaker, determining whether the threats are credible and taking appropriate action if criminal conduct is established.
