Gunmen Kill Dozens in Nigeria’s Plateau State During Palm Sunday Weekend Attack

At least 30 people were killed in Nigeria’s Plateau state during a Palm Sunday weekend attack, with authorities yet to confirm the identity or motive of the gunmen.

By EEW Magazine News Editors

People gather as police arrive at the scene of an overnight attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, Plateau State, Nigeria, on March 30, 2026, after gunmen killed multiple people. REUTERS/Stringer

Gunmen killed at least 30 people in Nigeria’s Plateau state during a Palm Sunday weekend attack, according to residents and local officials, in the latest violence to hit the country’s central Middle Belt region.

The attack occurred Sunday night in the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area, where witnesses said armed men entered the community and opened fire. Casualty figures were still being assessed Monday, with local sources reporting dozens dead and others receiving treatment for injuries.

Plateau state authorities imposed a 48-hour curfew following the killings, and the University of Jos suspended examinations scheduled to begin Monday as tensions escalated.

Residents described the attack as sudden and widespread, with gunmen firing indiscriminately. As of publication, officials had not identified those responsible.

A Nigerian Red Cross vehicle arrives at the scene of an overnight attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, Plateau State, Nigeria, on March 30, 2026, after gunmen killed multiple people. REUTERS/Stringer

The violence comes amid ongoing instability in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, a region long affected by clashes often described as involving predominantly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities. However, analysts and policymakers have repeatedly cautioned that the conflict is more complex, pointing to competition over land, climate pressures, and criminal activity as contributing factors alongside religious and ethnic divisions.

While some local and advocacy reports have described victims in Sunday’s attack as Christians and noted the timing during Palm Sunday observances, authorities have not confirmed a religious motive.

In a separate incident the same day, gunmen killed at least 13 people in Kaduna state’s Kagarko Local Government Area, according to local sources. The victims were reportedly attending a wedding celebration when the attackers opened fire. Details surrounding that attack also remain limited.

The latest killings add to a pattern of recurring violence in parts of central and northern Nigeria, where communities have faced repeated attacks, displacement, and loss of life.

International attention on the crisis has been uneven. The administration of Donald Trump previously designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” citing violence against Christians, a characterization the Nigerian government has rejected.

With investigations ongoing and few confirmed details about those responsible, the circumstances surrounding the Plateau attack remain unclear.