Nigeria: At least 26 to 31 people were killed in a deadly incident that took place on Palm Sunday, March 29, in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. The violent attack primarily targeted the communities in Jos North, including Angwan Rukuba, Gari Ya Waye, and Eto Baba.
According to reports, the incident took place on Sunday, at around 7:30–8:30 p.m., while the Christian people were celebrating their palm day when some armed men, some allegedly dressed in military uniforms or NDLEA attire, arrived on motorcycles.
On arrival they opened fire indiscriminately at busy market areas and student residential zones fatally shooting many people while seriously injuring some and after that they fled the scene on the same motorcycle toward nearby mountainous areas. In some areas, the attackers also set ablaze during the attack, destroying properties and injuring people.
The initial police reports claimed that at least 14 died during the attack but the subsequent findings by humanitarian workers and journalists resulted in the discovery of additional 26 corpses in the Angwan Rukuba area alone.
Further the reports claimed that over 120 victims were admitted to local medical facilities including the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and the State Specialist Hospital, after they were severely injured during the attack.
The Plateau State Government, under Governor Caleb Mutfwang, also reacted to the incident and condemned the act while describing it as a huge loss. The government also imposed a 48-hour curfew in Jos North LGA, which will be effective from midnight on March 29 until April 1, 2026.
The school administration also postponed the exams of the students which were scheduled to take place on March 30 and 31, due to the insecurity in the surrounding student communities.
This incident left the residents of Angwan Rukuba, Gari Ya Waye, and Eto Baba, shocked as well as grieved as many people described the act or scenes of chaos as gunmen opened fire on the communities. One of the residents of Angwa Rukuba stated that the attackers were members of Boko Haram, while some other local sources claimed a differing account, identifying the assailants as Fulani militia.
Reportedly, this was not the first attack in these areas as in the past, many attacks had occurred when the armed groups often attacked and killed the people linked to disputes over land, religion, and ethnicity.
