Fresh clashes broke out in Jos on Wednesday, just hours after the Plateau State Government relaxed a 48-hour curfew imposed following a deadly attack that left at least 28 people dead in Angwan Rukuba. The state's information commissioner, Joyce Ramnap, announced the curfew adjustment on Tuesday, allowing limited movement between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. from April 1 to ease access to essential services. Yet violence flared anew as suspected armed thugs and youth groups targeted motorists and pedestrians in multiple areas, including Terminus, Bauchi Road, and Gangare. A young man was killed near the University of Jos Permanent Site after being assaulted by attackers, while vehicles were vandalised and windscreens shattered in the unrest. Commercial activity ground to a halt in parts of the state capital as the unrest spread to Farin Gada, Tina Junction, and Chobe.
The Plateau State Government had cited improved security as the reason for easing restrictions, but the fresh violence underscores the fragility of stability in the area. Authorities have not yet detailed measures to address the renewed threat or restore normalcy.
When Joyce Ramnap claims the security situation improved enough to ease the curfew, that means the government's assessment of danger was dangerously out of sync with reality. The fact that attacks resumed within hours of the relaxation shows the state's approach to managing violence is reactive, not preventive—and that matters because lives are still being lost while officials rely on temporary fixes.
