The Plateau State chapter of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has clarified that no Muslim organisation has announced plans to establish a Hisbah organisation in Jos North Local Government Area of the state.
The clarification follows a recent controversy over reports circulating on social media about the alleged establishment of a Hisbah organisation in the area, which attracted the attention of the Plateau State Government.
On Sunday, the state government issued a statement banning the establishment and operation of Hisbah across the state, describing any attempt to establish such an organisation as illegal and unacceptable.
Speaking to Blueprint Radio Abuja on Monday, the Secretary of JNI in Plateau State, Dr Salim Musa Umar, said no Islamic organisation in the state had announced plans to establish Hisbah in Jos North.
He said the reports originated from social media, where some individuals allegedly used artificial intelligence-generated images to create the impression that a Hisbah organisation had been established in the local government.
“I want to assure the people that no Islamic organisation in Plateau has come out to say it wants to establish Hisbah. There is nothing like that. It has never been discussed and it is not part of what is being considered,” Umar said.
He explained that the controversy began when some people circulated images on social media showing individuals in purported Hisbah uniforms.
“The matter started on social media when some people appeared in uniforms created with the help of artificial intelligence, claiming that they had established Hisbah in Jos North. The information gained traction and people began sharing it widely,” he said.
According to him, an organisation such as Hisbah cannot be legally established without enabling legislation passed by the State House of Assembly.
“Hisbah cannot be established without a law from the State House of Assembly, and the government has not done that. Therefore, people cannot simply come out and claim that they have established Hisbah,” he said.
Umar described the incident as one that initially appeared to be a social media joke but later attracted widespread public attention, eventually prompting the state government to issue its warning.
He urged the Plateau State Government to conduct thorough investigations whenever issues involving religion emerge, particularly when such issues have the potential to generate tension among communities.
The JNI official also appealed to social media users to refrain from creating or circulating content capable of causing misunderstanding and disrupting peaceful coexistence in the state.
The controversy over the alleged establishment of Hisbah in Jos North has continued to generate debate among residents, particularly on social media platforms, where the reports first emerged.
