The bloodbath in Jos

A few days ago, there were what have been referred to as the Palm Sunday terror attacks in Jos, the Plateau State capital. Gunmen reportedly invaded the area and shot people indiscriminately. The attacks claimed at least 30 lives and left several others injured. The bloodbath occurred in Angwan Rukuba in the Gari Ya Waye area of Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State.

The Plateau State government, which imposed a 48-hour curfew in the district, said the gunmen were unknown. The University of Jos reportedly suspended examinations. The state governor, Caleb Muftwang, condemned the attack and gave assurance that measures were being put in place to apprehend the attackers and bring them to justice.

President Bola Tinubu also strongly condemned the killings, as well as the killing and abduction of wedding guests at Kahir village in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State. He visited Plateau State last week over the Palm Sunday killings, met with families of the victims at the airport and described the attacks as an affront to all that Nigeria stands for. He gave assurance that the barbaric act would not go unpunished.

“Anyone who will sneak under the cover of the night and kill defenceless citizens, as done in Jos and Kahir village, is a heartless coward. By attacking soft targets in Jos, their objective is not only to cause harm but also trigger a spiral of reprisal attacks and further bloodletting,” Tinubu said. 

There were also terror attacks in Kaduna and Zamfara states, which claimed some lives. Some hapless citizens were also abducted for ransom. Recently, about 23 people were killed, and over 100 were injured in a series of suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

For too long, Plateau State has frequently come under attack by terrorists. In January 2021, an armed militia group killed 150 people in Kuru Karama, Riyom LGA. In what looked like a reprisal two months later, gunmen brutally killed 500 people, including women and children, in Dogo Nahawa. In August 2021, gunmen suspected to be sectarian militia waylaid and killed 25 travellers in transit in Bassa and Jos North LGAs near Jos.

In June 2025, some hoodlums killed some travellers, comprising 13 men, women, and children, at Mangun community in Mangu LGA of Plateau State. The victims were travelling from the Basawa community in Zaria, Kaduna State, to Qua’an Pan LGA of Plateau State for a wedding ceremony when the incident occurred.

In April 2025, scores of people were also killed in Hurti, Josho, Daffo, and some other communities in Bokkos LGA of the state. Over 300 houses were burnt, and about 1,800 citizens were displaced. There were many other attacks, both in Plateau and elsewhere in Nigeria.

It is lamentable that Nigerians are still being killed in a senseless manner despite help from the United States and other countries. This is why Nigeria’s performance in the global terrorism index has progressively worsened over the years. In 2024, Nigeria emerged as the eighth most terrorised country in the world. In 2025, it ranked the sixth most terrorised country, while in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index, it ranked as the world’s fourth most-terrorised country in the world. The first three most terrorised countries include Pakistan, Burkina Faso and Niger. Countries like Mali, Syria, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are better than Nigeria.

With increasing attacks and deaths of Nigerians, the foot-dragging over the creation of state police is no longer acceptable. It cannot wait for donkey’s years. It is more important and urgent now than any other thing. Like northern governors and indeed other well-meaning Nigerians, we believe that only state police will tackle the intractable insecurity in the country. Delaying its creation will compound and worsen the nation’s growing insecurity.

The regularity and precision of the attacks are worrisome and appear to overwhelm our security agencies. Let the security agencies be more proactive than reactive. The killings have become a national embarrassment. They are pointers that all is not well with our response to terrorist attacks. What has become of the Tucano jets and the US/Nigeria military pact? There is a need for a change of tactics in the counter-insurgency operations. Let the Jos and other recent killings be a wake-up call for invigorating of the war on terror. The government must do more to contain the growing attacks.

If nothing is done to check terrorism now, it may affect the 2027 general election. The government must ensure that all Nigerians are adequately protected. Nigeria should look up to countries that have defeated terrorists in their domains. It is good that President Tinubu has reportedly ordered the deployment of 5,000 security cameras to Plateau State to boost intelligence gathering, surveillance and rapid response to security threats. He said his government was already acquiring more sophisticated equipment to enable our security agencies to track and smash criminals, in real time, wherever they might be. As the President has promised, the perpetrators of this heinous criminality must be fished out and prosecuted. There must be justice for the victims.