{"id":98285,"date":"2026-03-30T19:25:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T19:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=98285"},"modified":"2026-03-31T11:15:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T11:15:32","slug":"bloody-palm-sunday-attacks-leave-dozens-dead-in-nigerias-middle-belt-as-mother-begs-dead-son-to-wake-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=98285","title":{"rendered":"Updated with video: &#8220;Bloody Palm Sunday\u201d Attacks Leave Dozens Dead in Nigeria\u2019s Middle Belt As Mother begs Dead Son To Wake Up"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>\u25cf 13 killed at Wedding in Kaduna<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h6>Grief and outrage have swept across Nigeria\u2019s Middle Belt following a series of coordinated attacks over the Palm Sunday weekend that left dozens dead and many more injured, prompting urgent calls for both national and international intervention.<\/h6>\n<p>In one of the most harrowing scenes, a bereaved mother in Jos was seen clutching the lifeless body of her son, a victim of the violence. Witnesses described her as inconsolable, repeatedly pleading for him to wake up.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 352px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-98285-1\" width=\"352\" height=\"624\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/VID-20260331-WA0022.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/VID-20260331-WA0022.mp4\">https:\/\/everyday.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/VID-20260331-WA0022.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>The attacks, which occurred on March 29, 2026, have been described by the U.S.\u2013Nigeria Civil Society Coalition to End Genocide Against Christians and Other Vulnerable Groups as \u201cBloody Palm Sunday,\u201d citing their timing on one of Christianity\u2019s most sacred observances.<\/p>\n<p>According to situational reports released by the Coalition, multiple communities across Plateau State, Taraba State, and Kaduna State were targeted in near-simultaneous assaults.<\/p>\n<p>In Anguwan Rukuba, Jos, at least 25 civilians were killed when heavily armed attackers stormed the area. Dozens sustained critical injuries, with local sources indicating that the attacks coincided with church activities, amplifying fear among worshippers.<\/p>\n<p>Further east in Takum, violence unfolded in multiple locations. A police officer was fatally stabbed at Mayo Fuel Station, while a civilian, identified as Kumater Atornyi, was killed at Kasuwan Shanu Market. In Atsahaa Village, two internally displaced persons were ambushed and murdered while attempting to retrieve food for their families.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, in Kahir Village, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, gunmen attacked a wedding ceremony late at night, killing 13 attendees and abducting several others, including women and young people. Survivors recounted scenes of chaos as guests fled into nearby bushes under heavy gunfire.<\/p>\n<p>The Coalition argues that the attacks are part of a larger and persistent pattern of targeted violence in the Middle Belt, often coinciding with significant religious observances.<\/p>\n<p>Data from civil society monitors suggests that more than 7,000 Christians were killed within the first 220 days of 2025 alone &#8211; an average exceeding 30 deaths per day.<\/p>\n<p>Despite reported intelligence warnings about armed group movements across the Donga River and surrounding forests, affected communities were allegedly left without adequate security presence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery citizen deserves the right to life, safety, and freedom of religion,\u201d the Coalition stated. \u201cThe persistent failure to protect vulnerable communities raises serious concerns of gross negligence, if not complicity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Coalition has issued an urgent appeal to the Federal Government and the international community, outlining key demands:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Enhanced Security Deployment: Immediate and sustained military and police presence in high-risk areas such as Jos and Takum.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Accountability: Independent investigations into the attacks, with perpetrators identified and prosecuted.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 International Intervention: Engagement from the United Nations and the United States Department of State to recognize the incidents as potential atrocity crimes and provide support.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Humanitarian Assistance: Urgent aid for displaced persons facing food insecurity and limited access to farmland.<\/p>\n<p>The Middle Belt has long been a flashpoint for communal violence involving farmers, herders, and armed groups. However, rights advocates warn that the scale, coordination, and timing of these recent attacks signal a dangerous escalation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe time for statements of concern has passed,\u201d the Coalition emphasized. \u201cDecisive action and accountability are now imperative.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As families mourn and communities bury their dead, the haunting image from Jos &#8211; of a mother holding her fallen son &#8211; has become a stark symbol of the human cost of a crisis that shows little sign of abating.<\/p>\n<p>Coalition Members Include:<br \/>\n\u2022 Save Nigeria Group USA \u2014 Stephen Osemwegie, President &amp; Founder (Minnesota)<br \/>\n\u2022 Equipping the Persecuted \u2014 Judd Saul, Founder &amp; Executive Director (Iowa)<br \/>\n\u2022 Save the Persecuted Christians \u2014 Dede Laugesen, President &amp; CEO (Colorado)<br \/>\n\u2022 Center for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiative (CCEPI USA) \u2014 Rev. Dr. Rebecca Samuel Dali (Iowa)<br \/>\n\u2022 U.S.\u2013Nigeria Law Group \u2014 Emmanuel Ogebe (Washington, DC)<br \/>\n\u2022 African Christian Fellowship Washington, DC Advocacy Group \u2014 Dr. G. Ukwuani<br \/>\n\u2022 Berom Community North America \u2014 Pam Davou (Boston, MA)<br \/>\n\u2022 International Committee on Nigeria (ICON) \u2014 Stephen Enada (Atlanta, GA)<br \/>\n\u2022 International Peace and Development Initiative (IPDI) \u2014 Rev. Dr. Chris Gankon (Los Angeles, CA)<br \/>\n\u2022 Christian Association of Nigerian Americans (CANAN USA) \u2014 Banjo Olaniyan (Houston, TX)<br \/>\n\u2022 Global Mission Community Development (GMCD) \u2014 Evangelist Stephen Esele (New York)<br \/>\n\u2022 Ogidi Inwellian North America (OINA) \u2014 Dr. Chuck Abuadinma (Washington, DC)<br \/>\n\u2022 Nigerian Faith-Based Community Organization New Jersey \u2014 Bishop Samuel Tunji Ayeni<br \/>\nHome For The Needy Foundation- Rev. Solomon Folorunsho (Benin City, Nigeria)<br \/>\n\u2022 LEAH Foundation \u2014 Dr. Gloria Samdi Puldu (Jos, Nigeria)<br \/>\n\u2022 Berom Diaspora Coalition (BDC) \u2014 Rev. Dr. John Haruna (Pennsylvania)<br \/>\n\u2022 Stride Leadership Foundation \u2014 Rev. Dr. Polycarp Gbaja (Nigeria)<br \/>\n\u2022 Pathway Ministries \u2014 Rev. Fave Goje (Abuja, Nigeria)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u25cf 13 killed at Wedding in Kaduna Grief and outrage have swept across Nigeria\u2019s Middle Belt following a series of coordinated attacks over the Palm Sunday weekend that left dozens dead and many more injured, prompting urgent calls for both national and international intervention. In one of the most harrowing scenes, a bereaved mother in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":98286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5807,7],"tags":[2544,524,161,7440,5816],"class_list":["post-98285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-crime-and-violence","category-news","tag-coalition","tag-jos","tag-kaduna","tag-middle-belt","tag-takum"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98285\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/98286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}