Plateau State (Nigeria): A brutal overnight attack on the Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North area of Plateau State, Nigeria has left at least 20 people dead and several others injured, according to local residents and state authorities. The assault, which occurred on Sunday night, March 29, 2026, involved a large group of gunmen on motorcycles who reportedly entered the Angwan Rukuba district and opened fire indiscriminately on residents and passersby. State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Lohya Ramnap, confirmed the “tragic security incident,” noting a significant loss of life and a high number of casualties currently receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
In response to the violence and to prevent retaliatory attacks, the Plateau State Government has imposed a 48-hour curfew on the Jos North Local Government Area, effective from midnight on March 29 until April 1, 2026. Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the attack as “barbaric and unprovoked,” assuring the public that security agencies have been mobilized to track down the perpetrators. The University of Jos, located near the affected area, has suspended all examinations scheduled for Monday and Tuesday as a safety precaution for its staff and students.
While no group has officially claimed responsibility, eyewitnesses described the attackers as “bandits” or “terrorists” who targeted people returning from evening church services and those at local businesses. The Plateau State Police Command initially confirmed 12 deaths, but subsequent search operations on Monday morning recovered additional bodies, bringing the confirmed toll to at least 20. This incident is the latest in a long-standing cycle of ethno-religious and farmer-herder violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, exacerbated by recent regional instability and competition over land resources.
