Gunmen on Sunday night attacked the Gari Ya Waye area of Angwan Rukuba in Jos North, killing more than 20 residents and leaving several others injured in a violent assault that has shaken the community.
The attack, which began around 7:50 p.m. on March 29, sent residents into panic as the assailants opened fire indiscriminately. By the time security operatives arrived—nearly an hour later—the attackers had already fled.
A youth leader in the area, Emmanuel Topaz Daniel, said he was on his way to buy soap when the shooting started. At first, residents thought it might be a routine operation by law enforcement, but the intensity of the gunfire quickly raised alarm.
According to him, the attackers, believed to be about eight young men, moved from house to house, forcing their way in and shooting residents at close range.
“They kept banging on doors and shooting anyone they saw,” he said. “They moved freely through the community before escaping towards nearby areas.”
Initial reports indicated that 14 bodies were recovered on the night of the attack, with 11 others taken to the mortuary. By Monday morning, the death toll had risen to 28 after some of the injured succumbed to their wounds.
Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri, national president of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, said the attack appeared to align with earlier intelligence suggesting that armed groups had recently moved into Plateau and other parts of the Middle Belt.
He noted that warnings had been raised weeks ago about the presence of such groups, expressing concern that more proactive steps were not taken to prevent the violence.
In response to the incident, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, visited the affected community and assured residents that the victims would be given proper burials in line with their families’ wishes.
“There will be no mass burial,” he said. “We will work with the families to ensure each victim is honoured properly. Those injured will receive full medical support.”
The governor also confirmed that one suspect had already been arrested over threats made prior to the attack, while security agencies were working to track down others involved.
To restore order and prevent further violence, the state government imposed a 48-hour curfew on Jos North, effective from midnight on March 29 to April 1.
Residents described the incident as particularly shocking, noting that the community had made efforts to maintain peace despite tensions in surrounding areas.
“We’ve always tried to live peacefully with everyone,” Daniel said. “That’s why this is so painful. We never expected something like this to happen here.”
Plateau State has witnessed repeated episodes of violence over the years, often linked to longstanding communal tensions, leaving many communities vulnerable and on edge.
