Plateau women protest over planned mass burial of attack victims

Tension escalated on Tuesday in Angwan Rukuba community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, as women staged a protest to halt the planned mass burial of victims of the recent Palm Sunday attack.

The women, carrying leaves and chanting songs, were joined by some youths as they blocked the entrance to the church where the burial ceremony was scheduled to take place.

Their protest was driven by allegations that military authorities had arrested three youths from the community in connection with investigations into the killings.

The demonstrators insisted that the youths must be released unconditionally before any burial proceeds.

According to a community source, the situation created heightened tension before youth leaders intervened to calm the protesters.

The unrest follows a deadly attack on the Gari Ya Waye area of Angwan Rukuba on Palm Sunday night, where suspected bandits reportedly killed over 28 people and injured several others after opening fire on residents around 7:30 p.m.

Reacting to the incident, Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited the state last week, expressing condolences to the victims’ families and directing security agencies to apprehend those responsible. He also ordered the deployment of over 5,000 AI-enabled CCTV cameras across Plateau State to strengthen surveillance and curb insecurity.

Similarly, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, who visited the affected community earlier, condemned the attack, describing it as a deliberate and coordinated attempt to destabilise the state. He assured residents that those responsible would be brought to justice.

In a statewide address and subsequent stakeholder meetings, the governor said his administration had taken swift action, including convening a Security Council meeting and reinforcing security presence in vulnerable areas.

He commended residents for maintaining calm despite the provocation and urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community stakeholders to collaborate with security agencies in tackling insecurity.

Mutfwang reiterated that the state would not succumb to terror, reaffirming his commitment to restoring peace and unity.

As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to respond to inquiries regarding the arrest of the three youths.

Calm has since returned to the community, and the funeral mass for the victims is currently ongoing.