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In the wake of a violent assault during Holy Week that claimed the lives of 28 individuals in a largely Christian town in Nigeria, concerns are mounting about potential threats to Christians as the Easter weekend approaches. The attack has sent shockwaves throughout the region, with many fearing further violence.
The incident occurred on Palm Sunday in Angwan Rukuba, a town within the Jos District of Nigeria’s Plateau State. Witnesses reported that multiple armed assailants unleashed a barrage of gunfire while shouting a Muslim proclamation, intensifying the terror in this predominantly Christian community.
“The attackers arrived with a military-like precision, indiscriminately firing and chanting ‘Allahu Akbar,’ which translates to ‘God is great’ in Arabic,” a field worker recounted to Voice of the Martyrs, an aid organization present at the scene. The town, known for its Christian majority, was left in disarray and mourning.
Henrietta Blyth, the CEO of Open Doors UK & Ireland, expressed deep concern to Fox News Digital, emphasizing the ongoing threat of violence against Christians in Nigeria. “Tragic incidents like this are, unfortunately, not uncommon in Plateau State and other parts of northern Nigeria,” Blyth noted. Her comments underscore the persistent insecurity faced by Christians in these regions, especially during significant religious periods.
“Tragic events like this are all too common in Plateau State and large areas of northern Nigeria,” Blyth said.Â
“And too often they can occur on Christian holy days like this. Indeed, people in the region will remember the devastating 2023 Christmas Eve attacks in Benue state that killed over 140 people.”
Police officers gather at the site of Sunday night’s terrorist attack in Gari Ya Waye community in Jos North, Nigeria, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Samson Omale)
U.S. Principal Adviser for Global Religious Freedom Mark Walker called on Nigerian authorities to increase security to protect Christians. He posted on X, “We call on the Nigerian government to significantly ramp up security for Christians ahead of and during Easter. We recognize and appreciate the steps the government of Nigeria has taken to improve security, however, the targeted killing of Christians, especially on Christian holidays, is unacceptable. We urge the Nigerian leadership to engage and to do so now.”
Nigeria is ranked the seventh-worst country in the world for Christian persecution by Open Doors. The organization claims it accounts for 72% of the total number of Christian killings worldwide in 2025.
A local human rights lawyer who asked to conceal his name due to security fears, was nearby when the Palm Sunday attack happened. He told Fox News Digital, “A group of people came, around 20, some on motorcycles, and started shooting.”
He added the area is essentially a Christian one “and for anybody to go and openly shoot at people, then it must be that that person had Christians in mind.”
Funerals for some 27 Christians who were reportedly killed by Islamist Fulani tribesmen in the village of Bindi Ta-hoss, Nigeria, July, 28, 2025 (Courtesy: Christian Solidarity International )
Another local Christian resident, who also asked to withhold his name, told Fox News Digital, “I can assure you that the majority position among Christians in Nigeria is that what we are experiencing in Nigeria is Islamic expansionism, and it must be stopped, using whatever means is necessary.”
The human rights lawyer said there are reports of videos circulating that are threatening more attacks against Christians, adding, “Here in Jos in Nigeria, we say that there is no Christian holiday or event left on the Christian calendar that has escaped an attack by radical Islamists or terrorists in Nigeria, whether it is Christmas, Easter or Good Friday, Palm Sunday or Sunday services or whatever. We are trapped.”
Christians hold signs as they march on the streets of Abuja during a prayer and penance for peace and security in Nigeria in Abuja March 1, 2020. (Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Todd Nettleton of the Voice of the Martyrs’ group said that, in countries like Nigeria, “Easter is often a season of peril. Holy days on the Christian calendar, including Christmas and Easter, are often times when those who hate the Gospel target our brothers and sisters in violent attacks.”
Open Doors’ Blythe said, “The fear of being brutally attacked will hang over millions of Christians across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, as they prepare for Easter, a festival that should be the most joyful moment in the Christian calendar. We will be praying that Christians around the world will be safe and free to celebrate and worship jubilantly this Eastertide.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Nigerian government for comment but received no response.