Hundreds of residents in Plateau State defied a state-imposed curfew on Monday morning, taking to the streets in protest over the deadly Palm Sunday attack that claimed several lives in Jos North Local Government Area. The demonstration took place at the scene of the massacre in Anguwan Rukuba and was streamed live on TikTok.
Protesters chanted and demanded urgent government intervention, criticizing the curfew as “unnecessary” and ineffective. Eyewitnesses described how gunmen, reportedly dressed in military uniforms, stormed the community on Sunday evening, firing indiscriminately at residents in a busy market area, forcing people to flee for their lives.
The Nigeria Police Force moved in to disperse the crowd, with officers reportedly preparing to fire tear gas, prompting residents to scatter. Demonstrators accused authorities of failing to prevent repeated attacks in the area and expressed frustration over the persistent violence.
Social media reactions highlighted public outrage over what many described as the normalization of mass killings in Plateau. Users questioned the government’s response and expressed alarm at the increasing frequency of attacks, noting that over 40 people had been killed in the state since Thursday.
In response, the Plateau State Government imposed a 48-hour curfew across Jos North, with Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemning the attack as “barbaric and unprovoked” and assuring that security agencies had been mobilized to apprehend the perpetrators. Despite these measures, the protests underscore growing distrust and demand for concrete action to halt the cycle of violence.