‎”We Cannot Keep Bleeding Like This,” CAN Declares After Palm Sunday Massacre in Jos, Kaduna

By Emmanuel Kwada

‎What should have been a day of palm branches, hymns of triumph, and quiet reflection on the eve of Holy Week turned into a nightmare of gunfire and grief in the heart of Jos North. On the evening of Palm Sunday, March 29, armed men descended on the densely populated Angwan Rukuba community, specifically the Gari Ya Waye area, opening fire on unsuspecting residents and transforming a peaceful neighbourhood into a scene of carnage.

‎Eyewitnesses described how the attackers, reportedly numbering over 20 and moving on motorcycles, stormed the area around 7:30 to 8:00 p.m., shooting indiscriminately at men, women, and children who were going about their evening routines—some returning from church services, others simply stepping out for errands.

This is not just tragic; it is unacceptable.

‎The assault left at least 20 to 30 people dead, with varying reports citing figures as high as 40, and several others wounded. Bodies lay in the streets as panic-stricken residents fled for cover, their screams echoing through the night.

‎The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has issued a scathing condemnation, describing the killings as not merely tragic but profoundly unacceptable in a nation that claims to value human life.

‎In a strongly worded statement signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN declared that Palm Sunday—a time meant for peace, hope, and reflection—became instead a day of cold-blooded slaughter.

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Heartbreaking moment a mother clasps her son’s lifeless body.

‎”Innocent Nigerians; men, women and children were hunted and killed in cold blood,” the statement read. “This is not just tragic; it is unacceptable.”

‎The attackers’ use of uniforms resembling those of Nigeria’s security forces has heightened fears and eroded public trust even further.

‎Residents spoke of confusion as the gunmen moved through the community, their disguises making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe in the chaos.

‎CAN called for a thorough investigation into this tactic, warning that it strikes at the core of confidence in law enforcement and demands that security agencies not only react but proactively outmaneuver such threats.

‎People of Plateau, and indeed all Nigerians, deserve lasting security, not periodic reassurance.

‎As families mourn shattered homes and lost loved ones, the Plateau State Government responded by imposing a 48-hour curfew across Jos North, effective from midnight on March 29 until April 1.

‎Yet protests erupted almost immediately, with angry residents defying the restrictions to take to the streets, demanding more than temporary lockdowns and empty reassurances.

‎They chanted for justice, highlighting what many see as a persistent failure to protect vulnerable communities in a region long plagued by violence.

‎Archbishop Okoh acknowledged the state’s initial efforts but insisted that periodic measures fall far short of what Nigerians deserve.

‎”The people of Plateau, and indeed all Nigerians, deserve lasting security, not periodic reassurance,” he said.

‎Faith must remain strong, but it must also be paired with wisdom.

‎In a message directed at Christian faithful nationwide during this solemn Holy Week, the CAN President urged prayerfulness alongside vigilance.

‎As churches prepare for Good Friday observances, the Stations of the Cross, Easter Eve vigils, and night services, he called on congregations to remain alert, cooperate with security agencies and local authorities, and look out for one another.

‎”Faith must remain strong, but it must also be paired with wisdom,” Okoh emphasised. “We will not allow fear to silence our worship. But neither will we ignore the dangers around us.”

‎The attack comes against a backdrop of recurring insecurity in Plateau State, where communities have endured cycles of violence that have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.

‎We will not allow fear to silence our worship.

‎This latest incident, striking on a day of profound religious significance, has amplified national outrage and soul-searching.

‎”Nigerians are tired of mourning. Nigerians are tired of statements. Nigerians want to see action,” the CAN statement asserted.

‎”Those responsible for this atrocity must be found, arrested and made to face justice—swiftly and decisively. Anything less will only deepen the sense that life in our country is no longer protected.”

‎As the investigation unfolds, with joint security operations underway, the broader question lingers over a nation exhausted by bloodshed: how many more sacred days, how many more communities, must suffer before decisive steps restore peace and dignity to ordinary citizens?

‎A nation cannot keep bleeding like this and expect to move forward, CAN warned. The dead demand justice. The living demand protection.

‎And the future demands a Nigeria where no family wakes up—or goes to sleep—under the shadow of gunfire on a day meant for celebration.

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