Several people are feared dead after gunmen launched a late‑night attack on Anguwan Rukuba, a densely populated community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Residents said the assailants, riding on a motorcycle, stormed the area and opened fire on a group of youths gathered along a popular street. Witnesses reported that the attackers shot sporadically at close range before speeding away, leaving multiple victims on the ground.

Local sources could not immediately confirm the exact number of casualties, but community members said several young men were killed on the spot, while others sustained serious injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals.

The incident triggered immediate outrage. Groups of angry youths poured onto the streets, blocking major roads in and around Anguwan Rukuba. Makeshift barricades were erected with tyres, stones and wooden planks, effectively cutting off movement and heightening fears of reprisal clashes.

Amid the growing tension, the Plateau State Government announced a 48‑hour curfew on Jos North Local Government Area. In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Rt. Hon. Joyce Lohya Ramnap, authorities condemned what they described as a barbaric and unprovoked attack on innocent citizens and warned that security agencies had been placed on high alert.

The government said the curfew was intended to forestall further breakdown of law and order and to give security operatives room to track down those responsible. Residents were urged to remain indoors during the curfew hours and to comply fully with security directives.

Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang appealed for calm, assuring the public that additional security personnel had been deployed to the area. He called on community leaders, youth groups and religious bodies to help douse tension and to support investigators by sharing credible information.

The violence also disrupted academic activities at the University of Jos, which has many students and staff living in and around Jos North. The institution issued an advisory postponing all examinations scheduled for the days immediately following the attack, citing concerns for the safety of its community.

The latest assault deepens anxiety in Plateau State, which has witnessed repeated bouts of violence. It comes on the heels of an earlier incident in which at least 20 security operatives and vigilante members were reportedly killed when heavily armed bandits ambushed a joint patrol team in Wanka and neighbouring communities in the Garga area of Kanam Local Government Area.