A peaceful night of worship on Palm Sunday turned tragic in the Gari Ya Waye area of Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, after suspected gunmen launched a deadly attack that left more than 20 people dead and several others injured.
The assault, which happened at about 7:50 p.m. on March 29, forced residents to flee as gunfire rang out across the community. Security operatives reportedly arrived close to an hour later to restore calm.
A youth leader in the area, Emmanuel Topaz Daniel, told TheCable that the incident began while he was on his way to buy soap.
“We thought maybe it was drug law enforcement personnel,” he said, adding that such operations were not unusual in the area. “But the shooting didn’t sound normal. When we saw them coming, it was some young boys, maybe eight. When we tried to communicate with them, the shooting got worse.”
According to him, the attackers moved from house to house, breaking into homes and shooting residents at close range.
“Any door they saw, they would bang it and shoot,” he said. “They walked freely until they passed into the next community or the bush.”
Initial reports indicated that 14 bodies were recovered on the night of the attack, while 11 others were taken to the mortuary. By Monday morning, the death toll reportedly rose to 28 after some injured victims died in the hospital.
The national president of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri, linked the attack to prior intelligence about the movement of armed groups into Plateau State and neighbouring areas.
“Since three weeks ago, we got intel that terrorist gangs have moved into Plateau,” Mwantiri told TheCable. “They built camps ready for attack. The foot soldiers of Bello Turji and others from Nasarawa and Southern Kaduna have moved into the state.”
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He added that security agencies were expected to have acted on the intelligence before the situation escalated.
In response to the attack, the Plateau State Government imposed a 48-hour curfew on Jos North, effective from midnight March 29 to April 1, to prevent further unrest.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang visited the affected community on Monday morning and assured residents of proper arrangements for the victims.
“There will be no mass burial,” he said. “We will liaise with the families and give these people a decent burial. Those in the hospital, we will take care of their bills till they get well.”
He also confirmed that a suspect who had issued threats online had been arrested, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend others involved.
“The enemy wanted to disrupt the peace of the land,” the governor said. “We will not allow them. Let’s be eternally vigilant.”
Residents of the community described the attack as shocking, noting that they had previously lived in relative peace despite surrounding tensions.
“We’ve embraced peace. We welcome anybody within the community,” Daniel said. “But with what happened, we are shocked. The least place I expected such a thing to happen is Angwan Rukuba.”
As families mourn their losses and the injured continue receiving treatment, the community remains on edge, awaiting justice and hoping for lasting security.