A viral video has sparked outrage across Nigeria showing a northern Islamic cleric brandishing cash while placing a ₦1 million bounty on the head of an unnamed Christian cleric, openly inciting the public to behead him.
WATCH: Northern Islamic Cleric Places N1Million Bounty On Christian Man’s Head, Calls For His Beheading In Viral Video pic.twitter.com/hkxOmRvL0w
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) April 13, 2026
A disturbing video circulating online has captured an unidentified northern Islamic cleric publicly placing a ₦1 million bounty on the head of an unnamed Christian cleric, openly calling for his execution. In the footage obtained by SaharaReporters, the cleric is seen brandishing wads of cash inside what appears to be a mosque, urging members of the public to carry out the beheading in exchange for the financial reward. The exact provocation for the threat remains unknown; however, the cleric made it clear that he was willing to negotiate the price of the assassination. “I swear to God, I promise ₦1 million to whoever beheads this man,” the cleric stated in the clip. “If the person who wants to cut off his head feels the money is too small, let them go ahead and do it, I will increase the money.”
The viral footage has triggered a wave of condemnation, with many Nigerians calling for the immediate arrest of the preacher for inciting religious violence. A woman featured in a reaction segment of the same video slammed the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies for their perceived silence in the face of such blatant calls for murder. She drew a grim biblical parallel to the execution of John the Baptist, noting that the cleric has a history of spewing hateful rhetoric. “He is placing a ₦1 million bounty on the head of a Christian brother, asking anybody to kill him, cut off his head, and bring it to him,” she lamented, adding that the funds would be better spent on the impoverished Almajiri children roaming northern streets rather than on financing bloodshed.
As of Monday afternoon, April 13, 2026, neither the Nigeria Police Force nor the DSS has issued an official statement regarding the identity of the cleric or any planned enforcement actions. The incident has heightened fears of sectarian unrest in a region already grappling with delicate religious fault lines. Human rights advocates warn that allowing such open incitement to go unpunished fosters a culture of impunity that could lead to reprisal attacks. The woman in the video urged the Christian community and the government to take the threat seriously, stating, “I don’t know what caused the issue between them, but he is always spewing hateful statements about Christians.”
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