Deadly Assault in Plateau State

At least 20 people have been killed following an overnight attack in the Gari Ya Waye community, located in the Jos North area of Nigeria's Plateau state. The violence occurred on Palm Sunday, according to Joyce Lohya Ramnap, the state commissioner for information.

Local residents reported to The Associated Press that gunmen arrived on motorcycles and fired sporadically into the community. While the official death toll stands at 20, the exact number of casualties and the identity of the perpetrators remain under investigation.

Conflicting Reports and Humanitarian Impact

International Christian Concern (ICC), a global humanitarian organization, provided a higher estimate, reporting that at least 30 people were killed in the attack. Additionally, the ICC noted that 10 other individuals were killed earlier that Sunday.

Humanitarian worker Alex Barbir stated on social media that the victims of the earlier incident were Christians. In response to the escalating violence, the Plateau state government has implemented a 48-hour curfew across the region.

Context of Religious Persecution in Nigeria

The region has faced significant instability in recent years. In 2025, the ICC documented an attack in Zikke village near Jos, where 54 Christians were killed following Palm Sunday celebrations and over 100 homes were destroyed.

Data from Open Doors, a global Christian charity, highlights the severity of the situation:

  • Nigeria is ranked the seventh-worst country globally for Christian persecution.
  • The country accounted for 72% of all Christian killings worldwide in 2025.
  • Records indicate that 546 Christians were killed in Plateau State during the previous year.