Death toll hits 28 in Plateau massacre

At least 28 people have been killed and several others wounded in a shooting attack on a community in Nigeria’s central Plateau State, prompting authorities to impose a 48-hour curfew to prevent further violence.

At least 28 people have been killed and several others wounded in a shooting attack on a community in Nigeria’s central Plateau State, prompting authorities to impose a 48-hour curfew to prevent further violence.

The gunmen raided the Gari Ya Waye community in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, on Palm Sunday night, according to the Plateau State government.

Earlier, the state police command reported a lower toll. In a statement, it said 12 people, including ten men and two women, were confirmed dead, and that two more bodies were found on Monday morning as officers searched nearby bushes, bringing the police toll to 14.

Police said they received a distress call at about 8:30 PM reporting gunfire in the Angwan Rukuba area and launched a joint operation with other security agencies to track down the attackers.

“The victims were law-abiding citizens going about their normal activities when the enemies of peace unleashed this senseless attack,” Plateau State Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang said in a statement posted on Facebook on Monday.

He condemned the incident as “barbaric and unprovoked” and said a 48-hour curfew in Jos North will remain in place until April 1 to allow “security operatives to carry out thorough operations and ensure the safety of all residents.”

Plateau State, in Nigeria’s central Middle Belt, has long been hit by violence linked to land disputes, communal tensions and reprisals, with the conflict often portrayed as ethno-religious between mainly Muslim Fulani herders and mostly Christian farming communities.

On March 13, gunmen ambushed a joint patrol in the Kanam area of Plateau State, reportedly killing at least 20 security personnel and vigilantes, including two senior military officers.

Security threats in Nigeria

The state government has said one suspect linked to the latest attack has been arrested, while police say security forces are still searching for the gunmen.

The West African nation has faced a surge in violence since November, with US President Donald Trump placing Nigeria on the list of Countries of Particular Concern amid allegations that more than 7,000 Christians were killed there in 2025 alone.