“Don’t disturb my son. He is sleeping. I will wake him up.”
Those were the words of Mrs. Rhoda Favour Ayuba-Okeke, a mother who lost her only son, Promise Ayuba, in last Sunday’s attack on Agwuan Rukuba, Jos, Plateau State capital. They were words laced with faith, love, courage and hope that her deceased son would bounce back to life.
The single mother, who lost his first and only son in the killings, became the object of attention not because she was the most affected of all the victims, but because of the courage, the faith and the love she displayed on discovering the lifeless body of her only son, reports The Nation.
Rhoda, on rushing to the scene of the attack did not allow anyone to take her son to the hospital. Rather, she picked her son’s remains up, took them home, sat and lapped his lifeless body before launching into prayers for him to come back to life. She told neighbours and other sympathisers who came and tried to separate her from her son: “Leave him for me, he is sleeping and will soon wake up. My son cannot die like that. He is the only one I have.” Thereafter, she kept talking to her lifeless baby in faith.
The killing incident was a reenactment of an event that has occurred repeatedly since the first ever mass killings in Angwan Rukuba took place at about 8pm in December 2010. Then, an attack with time bomb in a beer palour had killed more than 40 residents.
Sixteen years after the ugly episode, another mass killing befell the community via an attack by gunmen on a Palm Sunday.
As usual, the killers left in their trail devastated and helpless families to bury their loved ones. It also compelled the state government to bury and mourn its citizens whose dear lives were abruptly cut short by blood-sucking demons in human flesh.
While Rhoda and her son were not the only ones affected in the mass killings that took place on the ill-fated Palm Sunday night in Angwuan Rukuba, their case was so pathetic as to attract the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his condolence visit to the people of Plateau State on Thursday.
President Tinubu told her: “I saw your pains. I share in your grief. I saw how in the video you held on to your son, Ayuba, and the pain and agony in your heart. But it is only God who can give you joy and comfort.”
Without a doubt, Rhoda’s agony was shared by more than 30 families who lost loved ones in the attack. The questions on many lips were how do the killers feel after such barbaric acts? Do they feel satisfied that they kill so many people within minutes?
The state government reckoned that 28 persons were killed in the attack. That, however, does not reflect the number whose bodies were not seen. “Many are dead. Many others are still languishing in pains on hospital beds undergoing medical treatment. What a season of agony,” lamented Rev. Father Anthony Lar.
Indeed, many went missing and some of them were later discovered in the mortuary by desperate family members. One of the missing persons is Babawo Iliya, a resident of Agwuan Rogo in Jos North LGA.
A notice of missing person sent out by the family reads: “We are deeply concerned to inform the public that our brother has been missing since Monday morning.
“He left home to go to work as usual. He’s a tricycle driver, but since then, there has been no communication or trace of his whereabouts.
“All efforts to reach him have been unsuccessful, and this sudden disappearance is completely out of character.
“This missing victim disappeared during the 48 hour curfew imposed on Jos North as a result of the violence that characterised the earlier attacks.
“We kindly urge anyone who has seen him or has any useful information regarding his location to please come forward and assist us.
“Your help could be vital in ensuring his safe return.”
Another family with similar predicament is that of Mr. Ebubechukwu Ihionu, who, after a desperate search, was lucky to discover their missing one in the mortuary. And the family celebrated the discovery of the body as a breakthrough.
Announcing the development in a statement, the family said: “It is on a very sad note that we regret to announce that the body of Mr. Ebubechukwu Ihionu of VOBA 2003 Set, has been found in the Mortuary of Plateau State Specialist Hospital on Holy Thursday, 2nd April 2026 after he was declared missing by his beloved Family on Wednesday 1st April 2026 in the midst of the insecurity within the Jos Metropolis emanating from the Palm Sunday attack at Angwan Rukuba, Jos.
“VOBA shares in the pain of this tragic loss with the Ihionu family, friends & associates of Ebube’, especially VOBA ’03 Set. Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord. May perpetual light shine upon him, may the soul of Ebubechukwu, all lives lost in the Palm Sunday attack, and all VOBA departed RIP. Amen”
It was discovered yesterday that among the victims of the killings was a youth corps member known as Ibrahim Haruna Abdulkareem. The 31-year-old corps member was discovered from among the victims rushed to the hospital. The attackers terminated his life with just 48 hours left to complete his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Jos.
The state governor, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, could not hide his emotion over the incident as he fought back tears while on a visit to the scene of the attack and the hospitals the day after the killings.
In his emotion laden voice, Gov Mutfwang said: “For the victims, we are not going to conduct mass burial anymore. These victims must be dignified by being given befitting burial. Each family will be encouraged to give their loved ones a burial that befit human dignity.
“This is a painful moment for all of us. Angwan Rukuba is a community that accommodates people from diverse ethnic backgrounds across Plateau State. Therefore, this is not the pain of a few; it is the pain of all of us.
“The state government would ensure dignified burials for all victims, there would be no mass burial. We will not allow mass burial.
“Government will work closely with the families to give each victim a befitting burial. They did not deserve to die in such a manner.”
The governor further disclosed that the Plateau State Government would take full responsibility for the medical treatment of all injured victims until full recovery.
“For those currently receiving treatment, government will bear the full cost of their medical care,” he added.
Amidst the prevailing humanitarian concerns, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, visited Plateau with a vow to go after the killers to bring them to justice. Disu strongly condemned the attack, describing it as tragic and unacceptable.
The IGP said he had earlier deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Umar Shehu Nadada, to Plateau to assess the situation, coordinate ongoing operations and re-jig existing security measures in conjunction with other security agencies.
