Plateau Residents Defy Curfew, Protest Over Palm Sunday Massacre

Hundreds of angry residents in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State on Monday morning defied a 48-hour curfew imposed by the state government and flooded the streets of Anguwan Rukuba to protest the deadly attack that left several people dead the previous evening.

The demonstration took place right at the scene of the Sunday night massacre, with protesters chanting and demanding urgent government action against what they described as repeated security failures. NaijaChoice News reports that the crowd, visibly agitated, insisted the curfew was no solution to the unending cycle of killings in the area.

WATCH: Plateau Residents Defy Curfew, Storm Streets In Angry Protest Over Palm Sunday Massacre pic.twitter.com/sfAC66YeFq

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One resident, speaking during the live TikTok stream monitored across social media, said people were out because of the attack that happened on Palm Sunday. “They chased the security men because they are not doing any help right here,” he added. Another eyewitness recounted how gunmen struck around 7pm to 8pm when there was no electricity, firing rapidly and forcing residents to flee for their lives.

The protesters accused authorities of doing little to prevent such incidents, describing the curfew as both unnecessary and ineffective. Eyewitnesses said the situation escalated when operatives of the Nigeria Police Force moved in to disperse the crowd, chasing protesters and preparing to deploy tear gas canisters.

“People are now running because the police want to shoot at us. They want to fire teargas,” one demonstrator told those monitoring the live video.

The protest came hours after suspected gunmen, reportedly dressed in military uniforms, stormed the busy Anguwan Rukuba community around 8pm on Sunday. They opened fire indiscriminately in a market setting, killing at least 12 people, including two women, according to confirmation by the Plateau State Police Command. Several others sustained injuries.

A resident identified as Nyam Isaac had earlier described the assault: “Gunmen came around 8pm to Angwa Rukuba and shot randomly at people. It’s a market setting. People who saw them said they came in soldier khaki. They left many injured.”

The attack has heightened fears in Jos, already reeling from a string of violent incidents this year. Social media users expressed deep frustration over what many see as the normalisation of such killings in Plateau State, with one post noting over 40 deaths recorded in the state since last Thursday.

In response to the Sunday violence, Governor Caleb Mutfwang imposed the curfew across Jos North and condemned the attack, assuring that security agencies were working to apprehend those responsible. Reports indicate the governor later visited the scene to address residents amid the tension.

As the protest was dispersed, residents called for more than curfews, urging stronger measures to tackle the root causes of insecurity that have plagued the state for years.