President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria has commended the governors of Kaduna and Plateau states after citizens were massacred by terrorists almost simultaneously on Sunday in the two states, with the President claiming Governor Caleb Mutfwang contained the situation in Jos without specifically stating what the governor did, even when armed terrorists seems successfully invaded and massacred citizens or brutally and indiscriminately shot sporadically and killed numbers of persons at Gari Ya Waye quarters in the Angwan Rukuba community of Jos North local government area of Plateau state on Sunday night which was also the Christians last day of the Holy week of Lent known as Palm Sunday leading up to Easter celebration, residents said the terrorists raided the community and operated for a long period of time that lasted up to an hour without resistance or any action from government, some even accused men of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, AFN of allegedly aiding and giving cover to the terrorists to escape, specifically, one of the Youths leaders in Plateau state who spoke with a prominent Nigeria social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse a.k.a VeryDarkMan who visited the scene of the crime, said, Nigeria soldiers prevented the youths from going after the terrorists and stood in between the gaps shooting at the youths while the terrorists escaped, but, in a swift reaction on Tuesday, Nigeria Army authority debunked the claim that the soliders gave the terrorists a cover, saying, the soldiers arrived the scene with four guntrucks after the terrorists have left due to long distance and acted professionally without stating what the soldiers did “professionally”, before the Sunday massacre, on Friday, in one of the burial ceremonies of the people that were previously killed by terrorists in Plateau state during the Christians Holy Week of Lent, Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo while speaking, said; “In this village (Rim in Riyom local government area) alone, we have received attacks from the Islamic terrorists more than 24 times”, and many residents said the Sunday massacre was premeditated and the governor and the president apparently failed to put proactive measures in place to prevent the attacks, that aside, almost at the same time on Sunday, another group of terrorists attacked Kahir village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, shot sporadically at residents and killed and kidnapped several numbers of wedding guests, a crime, according to Punch Newspaper, a resident said the attackers operated freely and successfully up to an hour without resistance, but, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a press statement on Tuesday specifically said “I commend Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State for his efforts in containing the situation in Jos and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for supporting the rescue and containment efforts”.

Apparently reacting to the worsening security situation in Nigeria shortly after the President press release was published on Tuesday, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, former Nigeria Chief of Army Staff posted a video in his verified Facebook social media account, with a statement; “History: MaIDUGURI, NiGERIA — Year 2017. For the first time in years, the Nigerian Army conducted military drills in the Sambisa Forest which previously had been a stronghold for Boko Haram. (Voice of America,) V.O.A was given rare access to the exercises. Formations of the Nigerian Army performed their 2017 annual drill in Borno State, in northeast Nigeria. The location in Sambisa Forest was no accident. The Nigerian army retook Sambisa late 2016 and moved its annual exercises there. The event was attended by leaders from the military and the Nigerian government”.

In contrast to the commendation of Plateau and Kaduna states Governors, it would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025 and gave six-month suspension to the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, and the State House of Assembly on the grounds that the Fubara administration was failing to protect critical infrastructure, specifically regarding the reported vandalization of oil pipelines like Trans-Niger Pipeline without intervention, even in the face of verifiable facts that on February 18, 2025—exactly one month before his suspension—Fubara met with the General officer commanding, G.O.C of the 6 Division, pledging full support for military efforts to curb pipeline vandalism and protect national infrastructure and invested in operational equipment, including donating vehicles, gunboats, and an AW139 Helicopter to the Nigerian Air Force on March 5, 2025 to enhance their efficiency in patrolling oil facilities, while Fubara also publicly charged traditional rulers to actively work for peace in their domains and help stem the tide of oil bunkering and vandalism.

According to American Humanitarian and people’s rights activist, Alex Barbir: “If you have no right to breathe, what right do you have? While people are fighting for elections, and painting banners of Tinubu, and everybody’s worrying about APC, PDP, LP, you are being killed. At what point will the people care about life?”. Alex Barbir made this in reaction to the Sunday massacre at Gari Ya Waye area in Jos, while speaking with the locals at the scene of the crime. While Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo called on President Donald Trump of the United States, US to send a small unit of US soldiers alongside US drones to Plateau state else the people in the state would be wiped out by the Islami terrorists.

Reacting to soldiers giving the terrorists cover to escape, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, the Media Information Officer of Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace in a rebuttal on Tuesday, stated in quotes that; “The attention of Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation EnDURING PeACE has been drawn to a false comment by one of the youth leaders of Angwan Rukuba Community, circulating on various social media platforms, alleging that troops provided cover for the perpetrators of Palm Sunday unprovoked attack at Angwan Rukuba Community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Ordinarily, the reply to the comment made by the youth leader would not have been necessary, especially in this moment of grief, but for the purpose of clarity and the benefit of well meaning Nigerians it is expedient to state unequivocally that at no point did troops provide any form of cover for the terrorists elements who carried out the unfortunate attack that claimed the lives of innocent citizens. Rather, troops on receiving a distress call on the unfortunate incident swiftly mobilised to the scene, which was far away from where they were deployed and observed that the attackers had fled. Troops acted professionally to avert what could have spiraled to endless bloodshed and pursued the fleeing criminals as can be attested to, by so many survivors who were at the scene of the attack.

Specifically, 4 Guntrucks mounted by troops were despatched to the incident scene and they acted professionally on arrival as confirmed by other security agencies, as well as eye witnesses at the scene of the attack. Nonetheless, the allegation was promptly investigated and confirmed to be false.

The comment by the youth leader is false, misleading and unfortunate, capable of demoralizing troops and causing disaffection between the Military and its host community. The public is requested to discountenance the comment, remain calm, law abiding and continue to support troops with credible and actionable information on terrorists activities. Troops in conjunction with other security agencies have adopted effective strategies to unravel and apprehend the perpetrators of the dastardly act. Troops will continue to deal decisively with criminals while maintaining peace in every part of Plateau State”.

Nigeria Presidency in a statement signed and made available by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy on Tuesday, “President Bola Tinubu has strongly condemned the barbaric and cowardly attacks by gunmen in Angwan Rukuba district, Jos, Plateau State. He equally condemned the attacks in Kahir village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Describing the attack on the community in Jos and the killing and abduction of wedding guests in Kaduna as an affront to all that Nigeria stands for, President Tinubu assured Nigerians that the barbaric acts will not go unpunished.

“Anyone who will sneak under the cover of the night and kill defenceless citizens as done in Jos and Kahir village, is a heartless coward. By attacking soft targets in Jos, their objective is not only to cause harm but also trigger a spiral of reprisal attacks and further bloodletting,” he said. He has directed security agencies to intensify all efforts to pursue the perpetrators and those spreading misinformation that can inflame tensions and further endanger lives. He cautioned some sections of the media, insinuating the attacks were religiously motivated.

President Tinubu reaffirmed that security agencies are actively addressing the situation and stressed that public cooperation is vital to maintaining peace and protecting lives and property. He stressed the need for communities to comply with evacuation, relocation, and related advice and processes. He hailed the safe return of two of the Kaduna victims. “I urge our security agencies to be more proactive in preventing these attacks by acting on early warning intelligence. All the remaining abductees from Kahir village must be rescued immediately”, the President said.

“I commend Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State for his efforts in containing the situation in Jos and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for supporting the rescue and containment efforts. I assure the people and government of the two states of my support. I commiserate with the families of those killed and pray for the quick recovery of the injured. Our government is currently acquiring more sophisticated equipment to enable our security agencies to track and smash criminals, in real time, wherever they are”.

Meanwhile, Vanguard Newspaper reported on Tuesday that the “United States congressman, Riley Moore, warned yesterday that continued attacks on Christians in Nigeria could strain diplomatic relations with the US, following reports of a deadly Palm Sunday killings in Jos, Plateau State, and Kaduna State. Recall that no fewer than 40 persons were killed by gunmen suspected to be terrorists on Sunday night at Angwa Rukuba community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State and Kahir village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State. While 27 were killed at Rukuba community in Plateau, 13 wedding guests were mowed down by the attackers in Kaduna. The police in Plateau, however, said only 14 persons were killed in the attack that marred Palm Sunday in the community.

Reacting to the killings in a post on X yesterday, Moore condemned the reported killing of Christians in Anguwan Rukuba, describing the incident as part of a troubling pattern of violence targeting worshippers during religious observances. The congressman, who was part of a United States fact-finding delegation on alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, added that such attacks had become frequent during Christian holy days, urging Nigerian authorities to take decisive action to prevent further bloodshed.

“This Palm Sunday, reports from Nigeria indicate that at least 10 Christians were martyred in the city of Jos. Radical Islamic terrorists opened fire on the Christians before hacking them to pieces with machetes. This is sickening and unacceptable, but it’s not surprising. This tragedy follows a pattern of radical Islamic terrorists massacring Christians on Holy Days. In fact, terrorists have attacked Christians in Nigeria on every single holy day in recent memory, except for last Christmas when President Trump sent 12 tomahawk cruise missiles to stop them,” he added.

Moore called on the Federal Government, led by President Bola Tinubu, to urgently strengthen security measures ahead of upcoming religious events. “Abuja knows this pattern and they must massively ramp up security for the Triduum and Easter. If they don’t take this threat seriously and mobilise to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ, blood of these martyrs will be on their hands, and there will be significant consequences for Nigeria’s relationship with the United States,” he warned. Meanwhile, the attackers of the Plateau community, said to be in large numbers, stormed the densely populated community at about 7:30pm on Palm Sunday and opened sporadic fire on residents, throwing the area into panic”.

Punch Newspaper also reported that “At least 13 persons have been killed, and several others abducted after suspected bandits attacked a wedding ceremony in Kahir village, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The incident, which occurred late Sunday night at about 11:47pm, has triggered fresh fears over rising insecurity in rural communities across the state. Eyewitnesses said the gunmen, who arrived in large numbers and were armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the wedding venue and opened fire indiscriminately on guests.

A resident of the area, Shehu Bala, said the incident plunged the community into chaos, as guests scampered for safety. “They came in large numbers and started shooting sporadically. People were running in different directions. Many were hit by bullets,” Bala said. He added that several victims sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital in Kagarko, while those in critical condition were referred to facilities in Kaduna for advanced medical attention. Bala further noted that the exact number of abducted persons could not be immediately ascertained due to the confusion that trailed the attack.

A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the assailants operated for nearly one hour without any resistance from security forces. “They attacked the wedding and later moved around the village, looting shops and carting away food items, provisions and even medical supplies,” the source said. According to him, many residents fled into nearby bushes as the sound of gunshots echoed throughout the community. It was gathered that the victims have since been buried, while efforts to establish contact with the abductors have not yielded results. He gave the names of some of those killed as Bako Danjuma, Williams Luka, Peter Williams, Joseph Yakubu, Victor Peter, John Dan Asabe, Angulu Markus, Maikano Aribi, Douglas John, Ado Yakubu, Zaphaniah Alhaji, Joseph Kaddah and Francis Unguwa Doya”.