Ivenus Mgbako who serves as the current Correspondent of OWARCH NEWS AGENCY in the capital city of Abuja has reported that controversy has trailed the number of people killed in Sunday night’s deadly attack on Angwan Rukuba community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, as community leaders and the police gave conflicting casualty figures.
Consequently, a United States-based human rights lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe, has written to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, urging urgent international attention following a wave of coordinated attacks across three Nigerian states on Palm Sunday.
In a letter addressed to USCIRF Chair, Vicky Hartzler, Ogebe described the incidents as a “tri-state terror attack” and attached a detailed press statement issued by the U.S.–Nigeria Civil Society Coalition to End Genocide Against Christians and Other Vulnerable Groups.
The coalition, in its March 30, 2026 statement from Washington, D.C., raised what it termed an “SOS” over what it called a “Bloody Palm Sunday,” alleging that heavily armed attackers carried out coordinated assaults in parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt. While praying for the repose of the souls of the victims, the metropolitan bishop of Owerri ecclesiastical province, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji has reiterated his plea for the current government to double her effort in fighting terrorism in Nigeria. He prayed the Almighty God to console the families of the bereaved.
According to the coalition, the attacks occurred on March 29, coinciding with Palm Sunday, a significant day in the Christian calendar observed globally.
In Anguwan Rukuba, Jos, Plateau State, at least 25 civilians were reportedly killed when gunmen stormed the community. Dozens of others were said to have sustained injuries. The coalition suggested the timing pointed to an intentional targeting of Christian worshippers.
In Takum, Taraba State, multiple violent incidents were recorded. A police officer was fatally stabbed at a fuel station in Mayo, while a civilian identified as Kumater Atornyi was killed at Kasuwan Shanu Market. In Atsahaa village, two internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Peva Camp were ambushed and killed while attempting to retrieve food, with their motorcycle stolen.
Meanwhile, in Kahir village, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, gunmen attacked a wedding ceremony late Sunday night at about 11:47 p.m., killing 13 people and abducting several others, including women and youths. Survivors reported indiscriminate gunfire that forced guests to flee into nearby bushland.
Authorities have confirmed the Kaduna incident and said investigations are ongoing.
A list of victims from Kahir, Kadda, and Kukyer communities—mostly young men aged between 21 and 31—was also released, underscoring the human toll of the attack.
In an interview with our Correspondent, one Mr. Ogebe drew comparisons with previous incidents, noting that the scale and spread of the 2026 attacks could surpass last year’s deadly Palm Sunday violence.
He referenced the April 13, 2025 attack in Zike, Plateau State, where 54 people were killed, contrasting it with a missile strike in Sumy, Ukraine, which killed 34 people on the same day.
“Ukraine is at war with Russia. Nigeria is at peace,” Ogebe said, arguing that the recurrence of such attacks raises serious concerns about internal security.
The coalition argued that the attacks reflect a “sustained and systematic pattern of violence,” often coinciding with major Christian observances.
It claimed that despite intelligence reports indicating movements of armed groups across the Donga River and surrounding forests, affected communities were left without adequate protection.
Ogebe further expressed concern that the violence, once largely confined to rural areas, appears to be encroaching on urban centres, citing the Jos incident as particularly alarming.
He recalled a 2021 attack in Miango where an orphanage complex was destroyed shortly after 157 children were evacuated, adding that perpetrators had previously avoided urban areas due to perceived security presence.
The coalition therefore, issued a series of demands directed at both Nigerian authorities and the international community.
It called on the Federal Government to deploy sustained security operations in high-risk areas, particularly in northern Nigeria, to prevent further attacks.
It also demanded independent and transparent investigations into the incidents in Plateau, Taraba, and Kaduna states, insisting that perpetrators must be identified and prosecuted to end what it described as a cycle of impunity.
At the international level, the coalition urged the United States government, the State Department, and the United Nations to recognize the attacks as potential atrocity crimes, provide intelligence and surveillance support, and enforce accountability mechanisms where early warnings are ignored.
Additionally, it highlighted the urgent need for humanitarian assistance for internally displaced persons facing severe hardship and food insecurity.
The coalition warned that continued inaction could embolden perpetrators and deepen insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, a region long plagued by communal and armed violence.
“The time for statements of concern has passed—decisive action and accountability are now imperative,” the statement read.
Ogebe added a note of urgency, warning that failure to prevent further attacks during the Holy Week period could be interpreted as “complicity or complacency.” The U.S.–Nigeria Civil Society Coalition to End Genocide, convened by Save Nigeria Group USA, comprises a network of advocacy organizations, faith leaders, and policy experts focused on religious freedom and the protection of vulnerable communities in N
