Several thousand Christians gathered in the north-central Nigerian city of Jos on Monday to protest against the rising insecurity that has plagued the region. The demonstration, marked by mourners dressed in black, took place in response to the recent brutal killings of nearly 200 people in nearby villages over the Christmas period.
The crowds congregated outside the office of the local governor in the capital of Plateau State, sending a strong call for peace. Plateau, situated on the religious and ethnic fault line between Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north and mostly Christian south, frequently experiences outbreaks of violence.
In a passionate speech, rally organizer Reverend Stephen Baba Panya unequivocally called for an end to the sustained attacks and killings in Plateau and across Nigeria. Panya urged the deployment of security personnel to all flashpoints in Plateau State to prevent a recurrence of the tragic Christmas massacres.
The attacks occurred in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi local government areas, where gunmen raided villages on December 23 and subsequent days, resulting in the death of 198 people, as reported by Plateau State officials. The majority of the affected villages were Christian, and thousands were displaced during the attacks.
Approximately five thousand people participated in Monday’s rally, brandishing banners that read “We are human beings, we are not animals” and “Plateau must be free,” according to an AFP correspondent on the scene. Josephine Marren, a farmer who lost two brothers in the attacks, expressed the devastating impact on the agricultural community, stating, “We lost everything on the farms because no one is there to harvest.”
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang reiterated his commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice. While officials refrained from attributing the attacks to any specific group, Mutfwang characterized the violence as “pure terrorism.”
A coalition of Muslim herders groups in Plateau State, led by Muhammad Nura Abdullahi, reported on Sunday that over 30 members of its community had been killed between December 23 and 24 in the attacks. The northwest and central regions of Nigeria have long been plagued by bandit militias operating from forest bases, engaging in looting and kidnapping for ransom.
The competition for natural resources between nomadic herders and farmers, exacerbated by rapid population growth and climate pressures, has escalated social tensions and triggered violence. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, since assuming office last year, has prioritized addressing insecurity as part of efforts to attract foreign investment to Africa’s most populous country.
