Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Plateau State Government has imposed an immediate dusk-to-dawn curfew on Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas, restricting all movement between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily until further notice. The directive, announced on Monday, September 21, 2026, by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Lohya Ramnap, follows a weekend of violence that left more than 20 people dead across the three council areas and neighbouring Riyom. The government said the measure was taken to maintain public order, protect lives and give security agencies the opportunity to stabilise the affected communities.
Ramnap said the curfew took effect immediately. “Effective today, Monday, September 21, 2026, the restriction of movement is between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM until further notice,” she said. She urged residents to plan their commercial, agricultural and personal activities around the restricted hours to avoid unnecessary hardship or confrontation with security personnel. The government also announced an immediate ban on the use of motorcycles throughout the affected areas, directing security operatives to enforce both measures strictly. Ramnap assured law-abiding residents that security personnel would carry out the enforcement professionally and called for cooperation as the government works to restore stability.
The decision came after a surge of attacks that began on Saturday night, September 19, and continued into Sunday morning. Five people were killed at Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. Two others, including a pastor, were killed at Dorowa Babuje on their way to church on Sunday. Separate killings were reported at Baten Wereng in Riyom Local Government Area and Ratyidi in Fan District. Community leaders confirmed the incidents and called for increased security presence and the arrest and prosecution of those responsible. The latest attacks followed several deadly incidents reported across Plateau between September 13 and September 19, including an attack on a commercial vehicle at Dungus in Kuru District of Jos South Local Government Area that left nine people dead, and a shooting at a farmers’ market in Mangu that killed three people and injured seven others, including a seven-month-old child. On August 18, more than 20 people were killed in an attack on the Bin Mper community in Mangu Local Government Area.
The curfew is the latest in a series of restrictive measures imposed by the Plateau State Government in response to the violence. In April 2026, the government imposed a curfew on Mangu and Bokkos after similar attacks. The recurring nature of the violence has raised questions about the effectiveness of such measures. Curfews can temporarily disrupt the movement of armed groups, but they do not address the root causes of the conflict or prevent attackers from regrouping and striking again once the restrictions are lifted. Residents of the affected communities have repeatedly called for sustained security deployment, intelligence-led operations and the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators, rather than temporary restrictions that disrupt their livelihoods without delivering lasting safety.
The ban on motorcycles is a familiar tactic in Plateau State and across Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions, where armed groups frequently use motorcycles for mobility during attacks. However, the ban also affects ordinary residents who rely on motorcycles for transportation, farming and trade. The government’s directive that residents should plan their activities around the curfew hours acknowledges the hardship the measures will cause, but it does not offer alternatives for those whose livelihoods depend on movement during restricted hours.
For the people of Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu, the curfew represents both a measure of protection and a source of disruption. It may reduce the risk of night attacks, but it also restricts access to farms, markets and essential services. The government has said the curfew will remain in force until further notice, pending improvement in the security situation. That improvement will depend not only on the presence of security personnel but on their ability to act on intelligence, respond to threats and hold perpetrators accountable. The curfew is a tool, not a solution. Whether it succeeds in restoring calm or becomes another chapter in the cycle of temporary measures and recurring violence will depend on what the government does next.
The Plateau State Government has urged residents to comply fully with the directive for their own safety. Security operatives have been directed to enforce the curfew and the motorcycle ban with immediate effect. The government has also assured residents that it remains committed to protecting lives and property and to working with security agencies to restore normalcy across the affected areas. For now, the streets of Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu will be empty from 6:00 p.m. each day, and the people who live there will wait to see whether the silence of the curfew brings the peace they have long been denied.
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