Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nigeria is confronting a deepening crisis of insecurity after a wave of violent attacks over the Easter weekend, stretching from the central Plateau State through north‑central and northern regions. These incidents immediately followed a high‑profile visit by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during which he pledged that violence akin to the recent Jos massacre “would not repeat itself.” Less than 24 hours later, fresh assaults unfolded in several states, prompting sharp criticism from former presidential candidate Peter Obi, who described the situation as a “national emergency” and a fundamental failure of government responsibility to protect citizens.
The most devastating incidents occurred in Benue State’s Gwer East Local Government Area, where at least 17 residents were killed in coordinated attacks on the community of Mbalom during Easter celebrations. Eyewitnesses and local sources reported that armed assailants entered the village, opened fire on residents and set homes ablaze, forcing survivors to flee and leaving others missing. Local officials confirmed bodies recovered and widespread displacement. The assailants in Benue were described as heavily armed and mobile, with some eyewitnesses asserting they moved into the community on motorcycles shortly before the violence began.
In Kaduna State’s Ariko community in Kachia Local Government Area, suspected terrorists struck on Easter Sunday, targeting worshippers at two Christian churches — First ECWA Church and St. Augustine Catholic Church. Reports indicate that the attackers surrounded the area and opened fire during services, killing multiple congregants and abducting others in the chaos. While initial accounts suggested up to seven people were killed, military and local statements confirmed that troops later intervened, engaging the assailants and rescuing 31 abducted civilians. The remains of several victims were recovered at the scene, and evidence indicated that some attackers sustained casualties as they fled.
Security challenges were not limited to central Nigeria. According to military and official sources, the Borno State Police Headquarters and an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in the northeast came under coordinated attacks by militant groups, resulting in the deaths of police officers and a local hunter and prompting engagements with barricaded security forces. Separate attacks early in the weekend involved confrontations with insurgent elements in and around the Chibok area, leading to property destruction and civilian displacement, though official casualty figures vary.
While figures vary between sources and between confirmed and eyewitness reports, the cumulative toll across the affected states — Benue, Kaduna, Borno, and Katsina — ranges from at least 16 to 26 deaths, with additional persons abducted and many displaced. In Katsina State, bandit attacks reportedly claimed the life of a police officer amid clashes with armed criminals in rural areas over the weekend.
The string of violence began in earnest a week earlier with the massacre of civilians in the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area in Plateau State, where gunmen stormed the community around Palm Sunday. That attack resulted in significant loss of life and prompted a 48-hour curfew and heightened alert across the region. President Tinubu’s subsequent visit to Jos was intended to reassure the public and families of victims that the federal government was responding to the crisis and that such attacks “will not repeat themselves.”
Peter Obi, an influential voice in Nigerian politics, responded to the unfolding violence with a stern rebuke of the government’s handling of security. In a statement shared on his social media platform, he highlighted that fresh deadly attacks occurred less than a day after the President’s pledge. Obi argued that the promise of non-recurrence had already been invalidated by subsequent incidents in Plateau, Nasarawa, Zamfara and other states, where communities have faced killings, abductions and destruction.
In his remarks, Obi articulated deep frustration at what he described as a “failure of leadership.” He emphasised that the protection of lives and property is the most fundamental duty of any government, and he questioned how security assurances could be credible when violence continued unabated shortly after they were issued. Obi further underscored the emotional and psychological toll on citizens who, he said, were being attacked in their homes, communities and places of worship — locations where they should feel safest.
Beyond political figures, civil society and religious organisations have reflected similar anxieties. The Christian Association of Nigeria in parts of northern Nigeria urged congregations to take protective measures in the face of persistent violence, describing the environment as perilous despite heightened alerts by security agencies during the festive period. Such calls for self-defence in some quarters underscore growing alarm among affected communities about their vulnerability.
Security analysts note that the phenomenon reflects overlapping threats from a range of armed groups, including criminal gangs, bandits, militant herders, and established insurgent organisations. These actors exploit governance weaknesses, porous rural borders and strained law enforcement capabilities. The Easter period, often marked by heightened mobility and public gatherings, has repeatedly seen elevated risks of attack in recent years, and this latest stretch of violence adds to a pattern that many Nigerians perceive as persistent and worsening.
Government spokespeople and officials have reiterated commitments to tackling insecurity, asserting that intensified operations are underway in affected regions. Military responses to the Kaduna church abductions and engagements with militants in Borno highlight an active pursuit of perpetrators. However, the continuity of attacks and the broad geographic dispersion — spanning central to northern states — indicate that security challenges remain entrenched and multifaceted.
For communities directly affected, the human cost is profound. In Benue State, families are grieving neighbours and loved ones killed as they prepared for one of the most sacred observances of the Christian calendar. In Kaduna, survivors and families of abducted worshippers are left to reckon with both loss and trauma amid relief at those rescued. The broader sense of insecurity has fueled public debate about the responsiveness and effectiveness of national and local security strategies.
As the country moves beyond the Easter period, the immediate focus among residents, political voices and security stakeholders is on preventing further bloodshed, reinforcing protective measures for vulnerable communities, and restoring public confidence in the state’s capacity to uphold peace and safety. Whether the current escalation prompts significant policy shifts or a recalibration of national security frameworks remains a subject of intense discussion across Nigeria’s political and social spheres.
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