KEY POINTS

• Gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire in Anguwan Rukuba, Jos North, leaving several youths feared dead.
• Angry residents blocked major roads after the attack, raising fears of escalating tension.
• Incident follows recent ambush in Kanam where about 20 security operatives and vigilantes were killed.

Tension gripped Anguwan Rukuba in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday following a deadly shooting incident that left several youths feared dead.

Residents said unidentified gunmen, reportedly riding on a motorcycle, stormed the area and opened fire indiscriminately, killing an unspecified number of people. The attack was said to have occurred around the Anguwan Rukuba junction in the evening, triggering panic among residents.

A witness who spoke on condition of anonymity said the assailants rode past the area and began shooting sporadically, forcing people to flee in different directions to avoid being hit.

Youths block roads as tension escalates

In the aftermath of the attack, angry youths reportedly blocked major roads within the community in protest, raising fears of escalating violence and unrest in the area.

As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Bassey Ewah, and the Police Public Relations Officer had yet to respond to calls seeking official confirmation or details regarding casualties and arrests.

The incident comes weeks after at least 20 security operatives and vigilantes were reportedly killed in an ambush by heavily armed bandits in Wanka and surrounding communities in the Garga area of Kanam Local Government Area.

The Kanam Development Association (KADA) said the victims included 12 security personnel, among them two senior military officers, and eight vigilante members assisting security forces. The joint patrol team was said to have been travelling in two vehicles during a routine operation across Garga, Kyaram, and Gyambau communities when they were ambushed by hundreds of armed bandits.

According to the association, the attackers later invaded Kyaram community, looted properties worth millions of naira, and rustled a large number of cattle.

KADA described the killings as painful and unacceptable, noting that the affected communities — located along the borders of Plateau, Taraba, and Bauchi states — have suffered repeated attacks, kidnappings, and cattle rustling over the past three to four years.