Jos unrest after curfew relaxation leaves one dead, several injured

Tension returned to parts of Jos North Local Government Area on Wednesday following the relaxation of a 48-hour curfew earlier imposed by the Plateau State Government after a deadly attack in Gari Ya Waye, Angwan Rukuba, on Sunday that left at least 27 people dead.

The latest violence broke out in several communities, including Duwala, Angwan Rimi and Zololo, with residents reporting clashes involving groups of Muslim and Christian youths. One resident of Angwan Rukuba Junction said a man identified as Alkasim Umar was killed, while several others sustained injuries.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that security personnel were not immediately present when the unrest began. Residents said police and soldiers later arrived and moved to contain the situation.

“It was at the beginning of the unrest that the police came. Soldiers arrived later. They were not stationed at the junction before the violence started,” a resident said.

Footage circulating from Bauchi Road and the Terminus Market axis showed residents fleeing as tensions spread across parts of the city. Many business activities were abruptly shut as people returned home for safety.

Security forces were eventually deployed and restored calm in affected areas. A resident of Angwan Rukuba Junction said order returned after the intervention of the military.

The Plateau State Government, led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, had relaxed the curfew earlier in the day. However, some residents questioned the timing, arguing that security coverage was not adequately reinforced during the easing of restrictions.

A commuter who travelled through Naraguta to Ahmadu Bello Way said he did not encounter security presence along the route, covering several kilometres, before leaving the area shortly after due to rising tension.

The unrest adds to longstanding communal divisions in Jos, where recurring episodes of violence have periodically disrupted daily life since the early 2000s. Several neighbourhoods in Jos North remain largely segregated along religious lines.

Meanwhile, residents are also raising concerns about the economic impact of prolonged restrictions. In Rikkos, a trader said repeated curfews have disrupted livelihoods, noting that he returned from market without completing any trade after the curfew window closed early afternoon.

Security operatives were later reported to have stabilised the situation in multiple flashpoints, and normal movement gradually resumed in some parts of the city.