The Plateau State government in central Nigeria declared a two-day curfew in the Jos North Local Government Area after an overnight attack in the Angwan Rukuba district of the city.
The curfew will remain in force until the end of Tuesday, following what the government described as a “tragic security incident … resulting in the loss of lives, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.”
“The government under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang strongly condemns this barbaric and unprovoked attack on innocent citizens and assures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” the state government said, urging citizens to “remain calm, stay vigilant, and cooperate fully with security agencies.”
Although local authorities did not comment on the number of people killed, both the Reuters and AFP news agencies cited separate local youth agency representatives as saying that at least 30 people had been killed.
Residents reported gunmen arriving in the Gari Ya Waye community of the Angwan Rukuba district, which has close ties to the University of Jos, and opening fire indiscriminately. AFP also reported mob attacks seeking to retaliate in the aftermath.
The University of Jos canceled all examinations for two days in response.
State Governor Caleb Mutfwang said he had visited the area “with a heavy heart” and spoken to the bereaved. “I stood with grieving families, listened to their pain, and shared in their loss. No words can truly capture the depth of sorrow in moments like this, but I want every affected family to know you are not alone. Your pain is my pain, and the pain of Plateau State. I assure you that those responsible for this evil act will not go unpunished,” he wrote online.
The state government said investigations were “ongoing” and that the perpetrators had not yet been identified.
Plateau State has long experienced tensions between predominantly Muslim Fulani herders and mainly Christian farmers, though analysts dispute the extent to which religion versus competition for land and grazing—exacerbated by population growth and climate change—drives the violence. Criminal gangs are also active in the area.
US President Donald Trump last year re-designated Nigeria “a country of particular concern,” alleging that Christians were being targeted and that authorities were failing to protect them. The Nigerian government disputes this characterization. Several mass kidnappings and attacks on Christian schools and church communities drew headlines in subsequent months.
Separate mass shooting reported at wedding party in Kaduna state
Also on Monday, the AFP news agency reported a mass shooting the previous night at a pre-wedding party in Kahir village, Kaduna state, killing at least 13 people. AFP cited a security report prepared for the United Nations saying, “Bandits attacked a wedding ceremony in Kahir village … killing 13 individuals and injuring multiple wedding guests.” The report also said the attackers kidnapped an unspecified number of people.
Acting police public relations officer Mansur Hassan told AFP that his force was “aware of the attack but we are awaiting details from the divisional police officer in the area.”
Like several northern states, Kaduna faces threats both from jihadist terror groups and from gangs of armed criminals locally known as “bandits” who often loot villages and kidnap residents for ransom. Nigeria’s governments, past and present, and its military have tried for years to increase security in the north, but the measures have had limited success.
Last month, the US began deploying 200 troops to the country to provide specialist training and technical support to Nigerian soldiers fighting jihadist groups.
Edited by: Rana Taha