Christians in Jos celebrated Easter in an atmosphere of fear, a week after a deadly shooting that left around 30 people dead in the town. The streets were deserted and the churches half empty.
In Anguwan Rukuba, the ECWA evangelical church, located a few meters from the bar where the shooting took place the previous Sunday, was only half full. The worshippers expressed their concern. "There isn't enough security here," said John Abo Galadima, 57. "The government isn't doing enough," he added.
The church has hired private security guards to search worshippers at the entrance. Despite these measures, many remain reluctant to attend. "I don't feel safe. People are afraid; they no longer dare to come to church," says Marian Mark Andy.
The city is under a curfew from 3 p.m. to 7 a.m. The army has deployed 850 additional soldiers to Plateau State, of which Jos is the capital. Only one police checkpoint is active on the road leading to the church.
During the mass, Reverend Luka Musa Madaki prayed for peace and urged the faithful to remain vigilant in the face of frequent attacks.
Jos is a city with a mixed Christian and Muslim population, where ethnic and religious tensions have already caused significant violence, including nearly 200 deaths in December 2023 and nearly 1,000 in 2001 during sectarian riots.
Muslims in Jos also observed their prayers under increased surveillance. The head of the central mosque, Sheikh Ghazali Ismail Adam, called for peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity.
