The Plateau State Government has declared an immediate 48-hour curfew in the Jos North Local Government Area after a violent security breach in the Gari Ya Waye community of Angwan Rukuba.
The attack, which occurred around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, 2026, reportedly left at least 12 people dead and many others injured. Eyewitnesses and security sources indicate that gunmen, suspected by some to be cultists, opened fire sporadically on residents at a popular local spot.
Curfew Details and Scope
Announcing the measure in a statement on Sunday night, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Rt. Hon. Joyce Lohya Ramnap, stated that the restriction is a necessary intervention to restore order and prevent retaliatory violence.
- Duration: 48 Hours.
- Effective Dates: 12:00 midnight, Sunday, March 29, to Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
- Affected Area: The entirety of Jos North Local Government Area.
Security and Institutional Response
The administration of Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang strongly condemned the “barbaric and unprovoked” assault. Troops from Sector 1, Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), have been mobilized to the scene, cordoning off major access routes and launching a coordinated search operation to track the perpetrators.
The violence has also impacted academic activities in the state capital:
- University of Jos: The institution has announced the postponement of all examinations originally scheduled for Monday, March 30, and Tuesday, March 31.
- Safety Advisory: Students and staff living in the affected Angwan Rukuba axis have been advised to remain indoors and report any suspicious movements to the University Security Division.
Context of Rising Tension
This latest incident adds to a volatile month in Plateau State. On March 25, youths staged a major protest at the Government House in Jos, decrying the “unending killings” and a recent ambush in Kanam LGA that claimed the lives of 14 soldiers and 8 civilian guards.
The state government recently launched a “Peace Building Roadmap” to address long-standing farmer-herder conflicts and ethnic mistrust, but these recent urban attacks in Jos North suggest a shifting security challenge involving suspected criminal gangs and cult groups.
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