President Tinubu Pledges Peace in Jos Amid Renewed Violence, But Avoids City Center During Visit

By Masara Kim

JOS–President Bola Tinubu on Thursday vowed to end terrorism and restore peace in Jos following the Palm Sunday massacres that threatened to ignite a religious conflict in Plateau State’s capital. However, during his official visit, the President did not travel beyond the airport, located approximately 15 miles from the city, despite the ongoing killings.

While addressing a gathering of government officials and community leaders at a town hall meeting within the airport premises, the situation on the ground remained tense. At the same time, thousands of students were seen fleeing the Plateau State Polytechnic—just two miles from the venue—clambering into trucks to evacuate the campus. Their departure followed the killing of two people, including a student, in areas surrounding the institution the previous night.

The attacks were part of coordinated assaults across three communities, during which local civilian guards battled assailants for several minutes to push back the invasions, Truthigeria learned. Residents said military units stationed within two to three miles of the scenes failed to respond.

The most recent victims included a female student in her twenties who was killed in a student residential area near the Polytechnic in Heipang, as well as a community member murdered roughly three miles away in Kwi. The deaths occurred amid sustained violence that has prompted authorities to impose a citywide curfew in Jos since Palm Sunday.

Investigations by TruthNigeria indicate that the Palm Sunday attack, which struck a densely populated residential neighborhood and reportedly left at least 28 Christians dead, was followed by a wave of religiously motivated violence across the city. Videos obtained by TruthNigeria show large groups of youths wielding sticks and machetes, rampaging through streets and attacking civilians and places of worship. Both Christians and Muslims have been accused of participating in the violence, though casualty figures remain disputed.

On Tuesday, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), an umbrella body for Muslim groups, stated that four Muslims were killed during the Sunday night attack in the Anguwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area, adding that 10 others were missing. Christian leaders, however, maintain that as many as 28 of their members were killed and allege continued anti-Christian attacks in isolated parts of the city. TruthNigeria reported counting 25 bodies at the mortuary, while additional victims were said to have been buried by their families.

On Wednesday, April 1, TruthNigeria visited a church allegedly damaged during an attack by Muslim youths and reviewed multiple videos showing mob violence against Christians, including university students, reportedly recorded the same day.

One survivor, Mr. Longji Molshap, described narrowly escaping a mob attack in northern Jos. Molshap, a third-year student at the University of Jos, said he was assaulted during an eight-hour relaxation of the curfew between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. He told TruthNigeria that he was dragged from a moving tricycle by a Muslim mob outside the university campus and beaten with sticks and stones before being left unconscious on the road.

Later that same day, a female student of Plateau State Polytechnic in Barkin Ladi was shot dead after attackers shouting “Allahu Akbar” opened fire in a Christian student residential area near the Heipang campus, TruthNigeria learned. Simultaneous attacks on two nearby communities reportedly claimed at least one more life. Across northern Plateau, residents said security presence remained thin, with troops largely confined to static positions and no visible patrols.

Despite the severity of the violence, President Tinubu issued no detailed operational directives during his visit, apart from instructing the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police to “unearth and arrest the perpetrators.” His 15-minute speech focused largely on reflections of a once-peaceful Jos and assurances of renewed efforts to secure the city.

“I promise you that this experience will not repeat itself,” the President said, announcing plans to install 5,000 CCTV cameras across Jos to help curb crime.

The remarks fell short of expectations for some political stakeholders. Former Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army, Istifanus Gyang, expressed his concerns hours before the President’s arrival.

“The President has repeatedly insisted that security agencies must be proactive,” Gyang said. “This visit was another opportunity for him to issue a strong presidential command—one that must go beyond words and be translated into real safety for the people of Plateau State, particularly now that terror has moved from rural communities into the city.”

Masara Kim is a conflict reporter in Jos and a senior editor of TruthNigeria.