Tinubu, Govs, CAN, Sultan, Others Decry Plateau, Kaduna Killings

|   Senate urges IGP to investigate killings |   Middle Belt Forum asks FG to allow citizens defend themselves against attackers

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Igho Oyoyo, Samson Elijah, Achor Abimaje, Aza Msue,  Abdullahi Olesin

Condemnations have continued to trail the latest killings of Nigerians in Plateau and Kaduna States.

Twenty-eight people were killed in Angwan Rukuba area of Jos, Plateau State with 10 others missing while 15 wedding guests were gunned down in Kahir village, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday, March 29, 2026, with 28 people were abducted.

The umbrella body of Christians, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), denounced the brutal attack on worshippers in Jos North, Plateau State, describing the killings as a dark moment in the nation’s history that demands urgent action, not just sympathy.

CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in a statement on Tuesday, confirmed that armed men, reportedly in significant numbers and disguised in uniforms resembling those of security forces, stormed the Angwan Rukuba, Gari Ya Waye area on Palm Sunday, 29 March 2026, hunting down and killing innocent men, women, and children.

Okoh warned that the nation cannot continue to endure such bloodshed and expect to move forward.

“We owe the dead justice. We owe the living protection. And we owe our future a country where no community wakes up to gunfire on a sacred day.

“Palm Sunday is meant to be a day of peace, of hope, of reflection. Instead, it became a day of bloodshed. Innocent Nigerians, men, women and children, were hunted and killed in cold blood. Let us be clear: this is not just tragic; it is unacceptable,” he said.

Okoh lamented the deepening cycle of violence, questioning how communities could be left exposed to terror even on a sacred day.

Addressing the Christian faithful during Holy Week, the CAN President urged congregations to balance faith with wisdom.

It’s Barbaric, Unacceptable – Plateau CAN

The Plateau State Chapter of CAN described the incident as barbaric, heinous, and a terrorist attack on innocent citizens of Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area (LGA).

According to the chapter, the killings on Palm Sunday – a day significant to the Christian faith as the beginning of the week leading to the Easter celebration – are highly condemned and considered a targeted attack on the Christian faithful and religion.

A statement issued in Jos and signed by Plateau CAN Chairman, Rev Dr Dunka Gomwalk, and Secretary, Pastor Julius Arabo, said their hearts are with the families of the victims as they mourn the loss of innocent lives.

Plateau Will Not Succumb to Fear, Intimidation – Gov Mutfwang

Meanwhile, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang disclosed yesterday that security agents had apprehended a suspect who had earlier issued threats against the peace of the state before the Angwan Rukuba killings on Sunday.

He insisted that despite this security breach, Plateau State will not succumb to fear or intimidation.

“We shall emerge stronger, united, and resolute in our faith and commitment to peace,” he said.

Mutfwang, who made this comment in a statewide broadcast, said every necessary measure is being taken to apprehend the perpetrators and safeguard lives and property across the state.

He vowed to deploy every available resource to defend the people, protect lives and property, and safeguard the state’s territorial integrity.

Killers Will Be Tracked ‘In Real Time’ – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu strongly condemned the attack by gunmen in Angwan Rukuba district, Jos, Plateau State.

He equally condemned the attacks in Kahir village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Describing the attack on the community in Jos and the killing and abduction of wedding guests in Kaduna as an affront to all that Nigeria stands for, President Tinubu, in a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, assured Nigerians that the barbaric acts will 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 to trigger a spiral of reprisal attacks and further bloodletting,” he said.

According to the statement, President Tinubu directed security agencies to intensify all efforts to pursue the perpetrators and those spreading misinformation that can inflame tensions and further endanger lives. He cautioned some sections of the media insinuating the attacks were religiously motivated.

Sultan to FG: Cosmetic Security Actions Cannot End Recurrent Plateau Killings

On his part, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, said the recurrent security breaches in Plateau State call for serious action and not cosmetic security actions which were not intended for restorative justice.

The Sultan, while condemning the killings and attacks, reiterated his several calls that the government needs to overhaul the security architecture with defined timelines of operations.

JNI Secretary-General, Prof Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, in a statement on Tuesday, urged the Plateau State government to sincerely address the recurring attacks and killings in the state and to proactively be on the alert against reprisal attacks.

The statement further called on the Plateau State government to pay full due compensation (Diyyah) to the family members of victims of the blasts.

“And the government should also take up complete medicals of all the injured victims. Perhaps, by so doing, it will be alive to its responsibility,” it said.

According to JNI: “Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, expresses yet another shock and displeasure over the inhuman attack on citizens in a certain community market in Angwan Rukuba of Jos North, Plateau State.

“It is indeed utterly heartless, reprehensible and unequivocally condemnable – to say the least. It should be noted that after careful introspection and critical perusal of the sad repeated senseless killings on the Plateau and other parts of Nigeria, the JNI National Headquarters observed with dismay that the most recent attacks on the Plateau were well-orchestrated with perhaps ulterior motives to set the state on political and religious turmoil.

“Life is sacrosanct and must be seen to be so in Nigeria, and for sustainable peace to reign, there must be retributive justice for all, regardless of whatever considerations. But for how long would we continue to issue condemnations over repeated killings in Nigeria? It is unthinkable that the government would now issue condemnations (statements). Why can’t the government address the matter squarely?”

JNI Confirms 4 Members Killed, 10 Missing in Angwan Rukuba Attack

The Plateau State chapter of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has confirmed the killing of four of their members, insisting that ten others are still missing following a deadly attack on the Angwan Rukuba community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

JNI, in a press statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Secretary, Dr Salim Musa Umar, said that thorough investigations and reports from Muslim communities revealed that four persons lost their lives in the incident, which occurred on Sunday.

“The bodies of some of the victims have been identified at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), while the ten missing persons remain unaccounted for, with their families having no contact with them since Sunday and their phone numbers switched off,” the statement read.

JNI added that two persons are currently receiving treatment at JUTH.

The Muslim body said it was in touch with the families of the victims and extended condolences to the parents and relatives of those who lost their loved ones.

“We condole with the parents of all the victims who lost their loved ones and call on the public to remain calm. We appreciate the efforts of the state government and the security agencies for controlling the situation,” it said.

The attack on Angwan Rukuba, a densely populated community in Jos North, left 28 people killed.

Middle Belt Forum Asks FG to Allow Citizens to Defend Themselves Against Attackers

In its reaction, the Middle Belt Forum has called on the government to fully investigate the killings and attacks on innocent people in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, and Kahir village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

MBF, in a statement issued by its spokesman, Luka Binniyat, urged the Federal Government to allow easier access to legally approved firearms and make them available at subsidised rates under a properly regulated system for citizens to defend themselves against attackers.

The statement said: “Middle Belt Forum is not surprised by the brutal attacks on innocent people in Angwan Rukuba, Jos; Kahir village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna; and other parts of the Middle Belt last Sunday.

“Many times, security warnings have been given. Even the attackers sometimes send advance threats, yet the authorities fail to act to protect the people.

“We hold both the affected state governments and the federal government responsible for these losses of lives. We call for a full investigation into this senseless violence.”

 Senate Directs IGP Disu To Investigate Jos Killings, Mourns Victims

The Senate has directed the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to launch a full investigation into the recent killings in Anguwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, which claimed the lives of at least 28 people.

Calling for the perpetrators to be apprehended and prosecuted, the lawmakers also resolved to send a high-powered delegation, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, to commiserate with the victims and the people of Plateau State.

The resolutions followed a motion moved by Senators Diket Plang (Plateau Central) and Dachung Mwadkon (Plateau North), who raised urgent concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Kanam and Jos North Local Government Areas during Tuesday’s plenary in Abuja.

Leading the debate, Plang lamented that Plateau State, once known as the “Home of Peace and Tourism

Governors Decry Plateau Attacks

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has condemned in the strongest terms the latest sectarian attacks in Angwan Rukuba, Plateau State, in which people have been confirmed killed and maimed.

The Forum made the condemnation in a statement signed by its chairman and the Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

“We call for restraint and an immediate end to the war of attrition in Plateau or any part of our nation. A cycle of violence does us no good; it leaves different people bitter and vengeful, and our communities perpetually stripped of sustainable development.

“The NGF sends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the government of Plateau State, commending Governor Caleb Muftwang for his swift post-incident response,” it added.