Residents of Angwan Rukuba in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State have described how gunmen pretended to be regular customers before launching a deadly attack on Sunday evening that left several people dead and others injured.
According to accounts from residents, the attackers arrived at a local beer parlour and blended in with other people at the scene before suddenly opening fire.
One resident, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the gunmen behaved like normal customers at first while people were eating, drinking, and relaxing. He said the situation changed without warning when they stood up and began shooting, throwing the area into confusion as people ran in different directions in search of safety.
The witness said the attack happened at about 8 p.m., at a time when visibility was already poor, making it harder for people to escape. He added that some of those hit were not even residents of the area, but people who were simply passing through at the time of the shooting.
According to him, after opening fire at the beer parlour, the attackers moved through a nearby pathway and continued shooting at anyone they came across before escaping through a route leading towards the Mazahills area.
A separate account from Leman Francis, a senior lecturer at the University of Jos who lives in the Old Legislative Quarters near the scene, supported that version of events. He said the attackers reportedly arrived in a vehicle, got down, and began shooting without any confrontation or provocation.
Francis said the gunmen later moved through the pathway leading to the Legislative Quarters and escaped through the back. He noted that the exact number of casualties was still unclear, as residents were still trying to understand the full scale of the attack.
Video footage from the scene reportedly showed several bodies lying on the ground, while others were seen with injuries. A source who shared the footage said many people were killed and several others were wounded, describing the scene as deeply disturbing.
Following the attack, the Plateau State Government imposed a 48-hour curfew on Jos North, saying the incident led to deaths and injuries. The violence also reportedly triggered reprisals in parts of the community, worsening tensions in the area.
The impact of the attack has also affected nearby institutions. The University of Jos announced the postponement of examinations scheduled for Monday and Tuesday because of the security concerns and rising tension around Angwan Rukuba. Some schools in and around the community were also shut down as residents stayed indoors over fears of further violence.
Police authorities had not yet given a full official response as of the time the report was filed. The spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, Alfred Alabo, said the command would issue an official statement later, but no detailed update had been released.
At the time of reporting, authorities had not confirmed the exact number of people killed or injured, and those behind the attack had not been officially identified, leaving residents in fear and uncertainty.
