Mrs Favour Ayuba, mother of Promise Ayuba, one of the victims of the March 29 attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area, broke down during her son's burial, captured in a viral video. The attack, carried out by gunmen, left at least 24 people dead and several injured. In the footage, Mrs Ayuba is seen placing a cutlass wrapped in white cloth into her son's coffin while speaking emotionally in Hausa, urging her deceased son to avenge his own death. She said she had not eaten since the attack and revealed the burial fell on Promise's birthday.
Mrs Ayuba referenced the biblical figure Gideon during her lamentation, drawing parallels to his struggle and calling for justice. The video has spread rapidly online, drawing sympathy and reigniting demands for better security in Plateau State. The Angwan Rukuba area has seen repeated violence from armed groups, raising concerns over the safety of residents in Jos North. Authorities have yet to make public arrests or provide a detailed account of the incident.
A grieving mother placing a cutlass in her son's coffin speaks louder than any government statement on insecurity. Mrs Favour Ayuba's anguish reflects the collapse of state protection in Jos North, where citizens are left to mourn and arm themselves in death. When burial rituals begin to mirror calls for vengeance, the line between mourning and militia mobilisation blurs. This is not just tragedy — it is the normalisation of self-help justice in Nigeria's crisis zones.
