President Bola Tinubu has condemned the recent deadly attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos, Plateau State, which claimed 28 lives, describing the perpetrators as “heartless cowards” and vowing they will not go unpunished.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President directed security agencies to intensify intelligence-led operations to track down those responsible for the attack.
He also condemned a separate assault in Kahir village, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where wedding guests were killed and abducted.
“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,” Mr Tinubu said. “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”.
The President announced that his administration is acquiring “more sophisticated equipment to enable our security agencies to track and smash criminals, in real time, wherever they are”. He also ordered urgent efforts to rescue all abducted victims still in captivity.
Mr Tinubu commended Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani for their efforts in managing the security response, assuring the people and governments of both states of his full support.
He cautioned sections of the media against framing the attacks in ways that could inflame religious or ethnic divisions, stressing the need for stronger community cooperation with security agencies.
Reactions from Civil Society and Public Figures
Amnesty International
The human rights organisation urged President Tinubu to take urgent and decisive steps to halt the wave of killings across Nigeria, warning that continued inaction was costing lives.
“The attack and timing show how increasingly vulnerable people are to being killed anywhere and anytime,” Amnesty said, noting that patterns of recent deadly attacks across Plateau and other states showed communities had been “left at the mercy of rampaging gunmen”.
The group criticised what it described as a reliance on official statements without corresponding action. “Issuing statements condemning the attacks is not enough. Genuine commitment must be demonstrated by protecting lives, holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring justice,” it said.
A Florida-based missionary, Alex Barbir, who leads the humanitarian group Building Zion, criticised President Tinubu in a video that circulated widely on X (formerly Twitter).
Speaking from Plateau State following the Palm Sunday attack, Mr Barbir said: “They just murdered over 10 people. Innocent Christians on Palm Sunday. Tinubu, where are you as your people are slaughtered in the night?”
He accused the Federal Government of repeated inaction, alleging that attacks persist because authorities have failed to respond decisively. “As you sit in Aso Rock and you do absolutely nothing. You allow your people to be killed again and again and again and again,” he said.
“You can no longer deny genocide. They are being slaughtered, and you said there is no issue,” he added.
His remarks have reignited debate over the security situation in Nigeria, following the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ over the continued killing of Christians in October.
Reactions on X (formerly Twitter) have been mixed, with many users expressing frustration over the recurring violence in Plateau State.
@Alex_Barbir, the American missionary, posted the video of his remarks, which garnered significant attention. In the post accompanying the video, he wrote:
“In Rukuba, they just murdered over 10 people. Innocent Christians on Palm Sunday. @officialABAT Tinubu, where are you as your people are slaughtered in the night? As you sit in Aso Rock and do absolutely nothing. You allow your people to be killed again and again.”
Several Nigerian users expressed frustration with the recurring nature of such attacks:
@Citizen_Ng posted:
“How many more must die before this government takes security seriously? Plateau is bleeding. Condolences are no longer enough. We need action.”
@AbujaLawyer wrote:
28 people in one attack. This is not just banditry anymore. If the government cannot protect its citizens, what is the point? Tinubu’s statement is welcome, but we need to see arrests and prosecutions.”
Other users cautioned against framing the attacks along religious lines:
@NeutralObserver posted:
“These attacks are about banditry and land disputes, not religion. When we frame everything as religious persecution, we miss the real problem. The government needs to tackle insecurity, not just issue statements.”
