Jos attack: How survivor pretended to be dead to escape killers

What began as a peaceful Sunday evening in Gari Ya Waye, Angwan Rukuba community of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, quickly turned into a nightmare residents say they may never forget.

For many in the community, the day had unfolded normally. Families had returned from church, neighbours exchanged visits, and others prepared for the new week ahead. But by about 7:30 pm, the calm atmosphere was shattered by the sound of gunfire.

At first, some residents mistook the noise for a routine security operation, recalling a recent raid by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. However, as the gunshots intensified, panic spread as it became clear that armed attackers had invaded the area.

The gunmen reportedly opened fire indiscriminately on residents, leaving at least 28 people feared dead, while several others sustained serious injuries. Although initial official figures were lower, residents said the death toll increased after some victims later died in hospital.

In the aftermath, grief and confusion engulfed the community as families searched frantically for loved ones.

One of the survivors, 26-year-old Dorathy Adams, recounted how she narrowly escaped death by pretending to be lifeless.

Dorathy said she was at Angwan Rukuba market when the shooting started. Like many others, she initially assumed it was a routine operation, but moments later the reality became terrifyingly clear.

“We started running, but they were shooting at us,” she said. “A bullet passed close to my neck and I fell.”

Realising the danger, she made a split-second decision that saved her life.

“I just lay there and didn’t move. They thought I was dead,” she said.

She added that some victims were shot multiple times, and it was only after the attackers had fled and rescue efforts began that she found the courage to rise and run home.

Another victim, artisan Jerry Bala, was less fortunate. He was shot in the head during the attack and remains in critical condition.

His elder brother, Samson Bala, said he was at work in Dogon Dutse when the gunfire began. Alarmed, he rushed towards Angwan Rukuba in search of Jerry, only to be met with a horrifying scene.

“I saw bodies on the ground. Some were people I knew, others I didn’t,” he said.

Unable to find his brother that night, Samson returned the next day and later discovered Jerry had been moved between hospitals before the family finally located him.

Elsewhere, Mohammed Habib also fell victim to the chaos. While trying to flee the violence through a shortcut, he was allegedly attacked by a group of young men armed with knives.

“They told me to come closer and said they would send me on an errand,” he said from his hospital bed. “Before I could escape, they attacked me.”

He sustained severe head injuries and remains in critical condition.

Among those killed was an elderly trader, Ngo Chundung, well known in the community for selling kwadon wake.

According to her neighbour, Charity Agada, the woman had stepped out as usual to make her daily sales, unaware it would be her final outing.

“She went out to sell as she always does. Her body was later found among the victims. It is heartbreaking,” the neighbour said.

Reacting to the tragedy, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the killings as “barbaric and unprovoked” and imposed a 48-hour curfew on Jos North to restore order.

Although the curfew was later relaxed, tensions reportedly persisted, with fresh unrest in nearby Nassarawa Gwong, where places of worship were attacked before security agencies and community leaders intervened.

For many residents, the latest bloodshed is yet another painful reminder of the cycle of violence that has troubled Plateau State for years.