Plateau Imposes 48 Hour Curfew, Governor Seeks Intelligence driven Security Response

•Pledges to secure justice for victims of attack 

•Northern govs insist only state police can tackle insecurity, support Tinubu

• Bandits attack wedding party in Kaduna community, kill 13, abduct 28 

•Troops rescue 150 civilians in North-east, thwart mass abduction

John Shiklam in Kaduna, Segun Awofadeji in Gombe, Adedayo Akinwale, Linus Aleke in Abuja and Yemi Kosoko in Jos

Plateau State Government has imposed a 48 hour curfew on Jos North Local Government Area following a deadly attack on Sunday that left several residents dead and many others injured in the Gari Ya Waye community of Angwan Rukuba.

The incident, which occurred late on March 29, triggered widespread tension across the city, prompting swift action from state authorities.

In a statement issued by Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Joyce Ramnap, the government condemned the “barbaric and unprovoked attack on innocent citizens”.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang urged security agencies to abandon routine peacekeeping tactics and adopt a more aggressive, intelligence driven approach.

Reacting to the latest carnage, Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) reiterated the position that the nature and complexity of the country’s security challenges required localised, intelligence-driven responses that only state policing could effectively provide.

In other incidents, bandits attacked a wedding party on Saturday night at Kahir village, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing 13 per-sons and abducting 28 others.

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), rescued more than 150 civilians and foiled a mass abduction attempt by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists on March 30. A statement by Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant-Colonel Sani Uba, said the incident occurred about 1450 hours in Sector 2.

The curfew in Jos North Local Government Area took effect from midnight on Sunday and would remain in force until April 1, the Plateau State government said.

Government officials said the measure was necessary to prevent further breakdown of law and order while security agencies worked to track down perpetrators of the latest killings.

Mutfwang assured residents that security operatives had been deployed to restore calm and protect life and property.

While receiving Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, Umar Shehu Nadada, who visited Government House, Jos, on the directive of Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, Mutfwang described the killings as “cowardly and utterly senseless”.

The governor lamented that innocent citizens were attacked while going about their lawful activi-ties, warning that the incident signals a dangerous shift towards “urban terrorism”.

He stated, “It is deeply heart-breaking that a city we have long regarded as one of the most peaceful in the region has witnessed such horror. We are now confronted with an emerging phase of urban terrorism, and this demands a fundamental rethink of our security architecture, shifting from reactive responses to proactive, intelligence led operations.”

The governor disclosed that security agencies had already made progress, including the arrest of a suspect accused of circulating inciting information capable of escalating tensions.

He charged security operatives to intensify intelligence gathering and ensure that all perpetrators and their sponsors were tracked down and prosecuted.

While commending the youth and residents of the affected community for maintaining calm, Mutfwang emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between government, security agencies, and local communities.

He insisted that criminal elements must be confronted decisively and treated as enemies of the state.

“The time for hesitation is over. We must deploy every available resource to defend our people, protect lives and property, and safeguard the territorial integrity of our state,” he declared.

Mutfwang assured the people of continued government support in logistics, coordination, and operational backing.

He said, “We will not allow Plateau to lose its testimony as a place of peace. Those responsible for this evil act will not escape justice. One of the individuals who issued threats on social media has already been arrested, and we will pursue the rest.”

The governor urged residents, especially traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community stakeholders, to remain vigilant and provide timely information to security agencies.

“Without information, we cannot do much,” he added, appealing to youths to continue to exercise restraint and avoid taking the law into their hands.

He also directed community leaders to meet with government officials after the evacuation of the corpses to harmonise strategies for strengthening security and preventing further attacks.

Earlier, Nadada said his visit was part of a fact finding and operational assessment mission ordered by the Inspector General of Police.

He confirmed that additional personnel, including Police Mobile Force units and intelligence operatives, had been deployed to restore order and pursue those responsible for the attack.

“We are here to assess the situation first-hand and implement effective strategies to neutralise these criminal elements,” Nadada stated.

He added that security agencies were working closely to ensure the swift restoration of peace.

The deputy inspector general also announced plans to visit the attack site, meet community leaders, and engage key stakeholders as part of broader efforts to prevent further violence in Plateau State.

Citizens were urged to remain vigilant and cooperate with authorities by providing information that could aid ongoing investigations.

The attack also had immediate implications for academic activities at the University of Jos, whose staff and students reside in the affected area.

In a separate advisory, the institution announced the postponement of all examinations scheduled for Monday, March 30, and Tuesday, March 31.

Deputy Registrar, Emmanuel Madugu, advised members of the university community to exercise extreme caution, avoid early morning movements, and promptly report any suspicious activity to the university’s Security Division.

University management said it was working closely with security agencies to monitor developments and ensure the safety of students and staff.

Further updates were expected as the situation evolved.

National President of Berom Youth Moulders Association, Solomon Mwantiri, described the attack as both shocking and deeply troubling.

Mwantiri revealed that community intelligence had, for weeks, indicated the movement of terrorist elements into Plateau and other Middle Belt states.

Northern Govs: Only State Police Can Tackle Nigeria’s Insecurity, Support Tinubu

Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) reiterated that the nature and complexity of the country’s security challenges required localised, intelligence-driven responses that only state policing could provide.

Chairman of NSGF and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, stated the position during a meeting of the forum yesterday in Abuja.

Yahaya recalled that when they met in December 2025, they were confronted with a deeply troubling security situation that demanded urgent, coordinated, and decisive action.

He said through collective efforts and the support of the federal government, the security situation across northern Nigeria had shown measurable improvement.

The governor stressed that there was absolutely no room for complacency, saying they must sustain and intensify their collective efforts to consolidate the gains recorded by neutralising emerging threats and ensuring that peace and security took firm and lasting roots across the region.

Yahaya maintained that the safety of the people remained the foundation upon which all development rested, adding that their efforts towards institutional strengthening and restructuring of NSGF are bearing fruits.

He stated, “The NSGF is at the forefront of the growing national conversation around the creation of state police as captured in our various communiques.

“We have consistently maintained that the nature and complexity of the security challenges we face require localised, intelligence-driven responses that only state policing can effectively provide.”

The forum commended President Bola Tinubu for his leadership and support towards advancing the critical reform.

Yahaya pointed out that Tinubu’s commitment to working with the National Assembly to create the necessary constitutional framework for state policing in Nigeria was a significant step forward.

He said the governors must continue to lend their full support to the initiative as part of a broader strategy to secure the region.

Yahaya said, “While we confront these security challenges, we must not lose sight of their underlying causes. Insecurity in northern Nigeria is deeply intertwined with issues of illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment.

“If we are to achieve lasting peace, we must invest deliberately and massively in education, human capital development, and economic opportunities for our people.

“The challenge of out-of-school children, in particular, remains a critical concern that requires urgent, continuous and coordinated action.”

In their communique, the governors renewed their collective resolve to confront prevailing security challenges and accelerate socio-economic transformation across the region.

They threw their weight behind Tinubu’s efforts to secure the country, while charting new pathways for institutional strengthening and economic expansion.

In the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, and read by Yahaya, the governors reaffirmed their support for the federal government’s ongoing efforts to tackle evolving security threats.

They emphasised that peace and stability remained the cornerstone of development in northern Nigeria and the country at large.

The forum called on Nigerians to support the president, the armed forces, and other security agencies in the collective task of safeguarding the nation.

The governors expressed satisfaction with the growing synergy among northern states in addressing security and development challenges. They stated that coordinated interventions were already yielding encouraging results across the region.

They stressed the need to sustain the momentum and scale up collaborative actions to consolidate on the gains achieved.

Bandits Attack Wedding Party in Kaduna Community, Kill 13, Abduct 28 

Tragedy struck Kahir village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Saturday night, as bandits attacked a wedding party, killing 13 per-sons and abducting 28 others.

The incident was said to have occurred on Saturday around 11pm.

A resident of the community, Emmanuel Musa Kahir, a former Special Adviser to the Kagarko council chairman, disclosed in a telephone chat yesterday that the bandits came in large numbers and were armed with sophisticated weapons.

Kahir said the bandits invaded the venue of the celebration and opened fire indiscriminately, killing 13 persons on the spot, while 10 others sustained injuries.

According to him, nine of the injured victims were taken to General Hospital, Kagarko, while one severely wounded victim was referred to a hospital in Kaduna.

Several shops were also said to have been looted by the bandits who made away with a lot of foodstuff.

According to Kahir, before the attack, a vigilante group in Kuratan, a neighbouring community, had sighted the bandits and sent a warning message advising that the gathering be dispersed.

However, while a few attendees heeded the warning and fled, others reportedly ignored the advice and fell victim to the attack.

He said, “The attack happened on Saturday night at around 11pm. They were celebrating bachelor’s eve party.

“The bandits were sighted around Kuratan, a neighbouring community. The vigilante from Kuratan called my own village and informed that bandits had were sighted and the party should be stopped.

“Few of those at the party heeded the advice and ran away, those who ignored the advice were the victims.”

Kahir also disclosed that several government officials, including the council chairman, Deputy Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, and Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, had visited the community.

Troops Rescue 150 Civilians in North-east, Thwart Mass Abduction

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), rescued more than 150 civilians and foiled a mass abduction attempt by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Sector 2, reinforcing their commitment to the protection of vulnerable communities in the region.

According to a statement by Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant-Colonel Sani Uba, the incident occurred about 1450 hours on March 30.

Uba said the troops deployed at Dutse Kura, under Sector 2, came under attack while escorting civilians along the Buratai–Kamuya axis.

While engaging the terrorists, surveillance assets detected the insurgents attempting to abduct a large number of civilians—men, women and children—using about 17 vehicles into the bush.

In a swift and coordinated response, a Quick Reaction Force was deployed to reinforce the troops at the scene.

The combined effort repelled the attack and triggered a pursuit towards the Mangari area.

Sustained pressure from the troops forced the terrorists to abandon both the captives and their vehicles, effectively thwarting the abduction attempt.

All rescued civilians were safely recovered and taken to Buratai for onward reunification with their families.

However, during the pursuit along the Bula Zarma–Mangari axis, troops encountered an improvised explosive device.

Five personnel sustained serious injuries and were promptly evacuated for specialised medical treatment.

The military stated that the incident underscored the resolve and sacrifice of its personnel in denying terrorists freedom of action and safeguarding civilian populations.

It added that the successful operation highlighted the vigilance, rapid response capability, and sustained operational presence of OPHK forces across the North-east, while reassuring residents of continued efforts to maintain security, particularly in the lead-up to the Easter period.